Sanders leads Clinton by 20 percent support in New Hampshire: poll

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has a 20-point edge over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire as she struggles to win over Sanders' home turf support, a new poll said on Thursday.

With lopsided support among young people and independents, Sanders, a U.S. senator from neighboring state Vermont, garners 58 percent support from likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and U.S.

senator, receives 38 percent support in New Hampshire, the first state to hold a primary election on Feb. 9, the poll said.

Among independents, Sanders enjoys a 43 percent lead over Clinton, while his edge over Clinton among qualified voters under the age of 29 is 52 percent, the poll showed.

Among New Hampshire women voters, a constituency courted assiduously by Clinton's campaign, Sanders also leads Clinton 50-46 percent, said the poll.

The poll was conducted shortly after the Iowa caucuses, in which Clinton defeated Sanders with a mere 0.2 percent support, and the poll found that the near draw in Iowa did not affect the polling number for the two in New Hampshire.

According to the last NBC/Journal/Marist poll conducted last week, Sanders received 57 percent support compared to Clinton's 38 percent support. Endit