--- title: Bernie Sanders Overtakes Hillary Clinton in Iowa Caucus Race description: He has a five-point lead in the early voting state. canonical: https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/ author: Daniel White article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-12T18:32:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:54.994Z article:section: Politics og:title: Bernie Sanders overtakes Hillary Clinton in Iowa Caucus Race og:description: He has a five-point lead in the early voting state. og:url: https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b19e2aa5cfab1db/698878c95f570f217ab1f27f/bernie-sanders5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bernie Sanders overtakes Hillary Clinton in Iowa Caucus Race twitter:description: He has a five-point lead in the early voting state. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b19e2aa5cfab1db/698878c95f570f217ab1f27f/bernie-sanders5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sanders Overtakes Clinton in Iowa Poll > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=39651661-efd1-4e17-a12b-f4d56d8eae8c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=39651661-efd1-4e17-a12b-f4d56d8eae8c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=39651661-efd1-4e17-a12b-f4d56d8eae8c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: The Third Democratic Debate, In Under Two Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): The Third Democratic Debate, In Under Two Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lTPNqlFm.m3u8) (1:54)  _Published 2015-12-20. Here are the highlights from the final Democratic debate of 2015._ by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jan 12, 2016 6:32 PM UTC  Bernie Sanders listens to a question from the audience during a campaign event at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa on Jan. 8, 2016 Bernie Sanders listens to a question from the audience during a campaign event at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa on Jan. 8, 2016 Scott Morgan—Reuters by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jan 12, 2016 6:32 PM UTC Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders overtook former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an Iowa poll Tuesday. According to a survey of likely caucus-goers by Quinnipiac University, 49% back Sanders, 44% are in favor of Clinton and 4% back former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. This is the end of a months-long lead for Clinton in Iowa, the first state in the nominating process for the presidency. Clinton led Sanders by 11 percentage points in the last Quinnipiac poll, which was released in mid-December. “After three months of Secretary Hillary Clinton holding an average 10-point lead among Iowa Democrats, the playing field has changed,” said Peter A. Brown assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll in a statement. “The Democratic race is different than the GOP contest because it lacks a divisive tone. Iowa Democrats like both major candidates personally; they just like Senator Sanders more.” A divide among Iowa voters highlights a growing gender gap between the candidates: Men back Sanders 61% to Clinton’s 30%, while women back Clinton 55% to Sander’s 39%. But there was some good news for Clinton, who has made electability a key part of her campaign argument. **Read More:** [_Clinton Makes Risky Bet on Electability in New Hampshire_](http://time.com/4174587/hillary-clinton-new-hampshire-electability/) Some 85% of likely caucus-goers believe that Clinton can win the November general election, while only 68% think the same of Sanders. The survey was conducted Jan. 5-10 by polling 492 likely Iowa caucus participants with a margin of error of +/- 4.4%. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Does secretary Clinton deserve an apology tonight? Yes, I apologize. We should move on because I don't think the American people are all that interested in this. [ MUSIC ] We're listening to the bickering back and forth. Maybe that's normal politics in Washington, but that is not the politics of higher purpose the people expect from our party. [ MUSIC ] And excuse me, no. Governor, now to be able to abide by the rules here, we'll call on you shortly. But I do wanna pick up on something. Actually passed, Comprehensive guns, safety legislation with a ban on combat assault weapons David. [ MUSIC ] They want American soldiers on the ground fighting them. [ MUSIC ] Giving them many more targets, and giving them a great recruiting opportunity. I believe in action, in which we put together a strong coalition of forces. [ MUSIC ] Out of pocket costs have gone up too much. And prescription drug costs have gone through the roof. The greed of wall street is destroying this economy. And it's destroying the lives of millions of Americans. This one falls under the category of " I have actually done this ". I believe that all of our kids should go into an income- based repayment plan. [ mmm ] [ MUSIC ] Must never surrender them to the fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths. He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter. They are going to people showing videos- [ APPLAUSE ] Of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/"},"headline":"Sanders Overtakes Clinton in Iowa Poll","datePublished":"2016-01-12T18:32:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:41:54.994Z","description":"Sanders has a five-point lead on Clinton in the early voting state.","url":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/","keywords":["Bernie Sanders","Hillary Clinton","2016 Election","Polls","Iowa","Polling","Martin O'malley"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b19e2aa5cfab1db/698878c95f570f217ab1f27f/bernie-sanders5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel White","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-white/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b19e2aa5cfab1db/698878c95f570f217ab1f27f/bernie-sanders5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa","caption":"Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa","creditText":"Scott Morgan—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/bernie-sanders/","name":"Bernie Sanders"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/","name":"Sanders Overtakes Clinton in Iowa Poll"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Third Democratic Debate, In Under Two Minutes","description":"Here are the highlights from the final Democratic debate of 2015.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/lTPNqlFm/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-20T05:14:20.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lTPNqlFm.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/","duration":"PT1M54S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4177441/bernie-sanders-iowa-poll-january/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```