--- title: Bernie Sanders Surges Ahead of Hillary Clinton in Iowa Poll description: Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders surged in Iowa, where he is now beating Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, according to a new poll canonical: https://time.com/4189537/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-poll-iowa/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-21T23:09:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:52.419Z article:section: Politics og:title: Bernie Sanders Surges Ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Iowa Poll og:description: The Vermont senator was trailing Clinton in December og:url: https://time.com/4189537/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-poll-iowa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte7916fc0581ca734/69887a102dce01d4999e7746/bernie-sanders11.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5094 og:image:height: 2865 og:image:alt: Democratic Presidential Candidates Appear At South Carolina Statehouse On Martin Luther King Day og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bernie Sanders Surges Ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Iowa Poll twitter:description: The Vermont senator was trailing Clinton in December twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte7916fc0581ca734/69887a102dce01d4999e7746/bernie-sanders11.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bernie Sanders Surges Ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Iowa Poll > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice 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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b1f1f4f2-924b-4fe2-a3ff-a780594cf253&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Bernie Sanders Talks with TIME About Winning the White House [Watch (HLS stream): Bernie Sanders Talks with TIME About Winning the White House](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/clgpbJGO.m3u8) (3:02)  _Published 2016-01-20. After nearly nine months of on the campaign trail, Bernie Sanders’ message of political revolution is starting to break through where it counts._  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 21, 2016 11:09 PM UTC  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 21, 2016 11:09 PM UTC [Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/4188073/bernie-sanders-winning-white-house/) is now beating Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in Iowa, [according to a new poll](http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/iowa-poll-full-results-cnn-orc/index.html), just over a week away from the Iowa caucuses. The [CNN/ORC poll](http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/iowa-poll-full-results-cnn-orc/index.html) shows the Vermont senator has 51% support, while Clinton has 43% support. The findings indicate a significant shift from a CNN/ORC December poll that found Clinton leading with 54% support and Sanders trailing with 36%. Sanders has also overtaken Clinton in New Hampshire, according to [a recent CNN/WMUR poll](http://time.com/4186064/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-new-hampshire-poll/) that showed the Senator ahead of the former Secretary in the state 60% to 33%. As he has gained ground in the race, Sanders has made clear that he sees his insurgent campaign as having a real chance at winning the White House. “People say, ‘what we’re hearing, Bernie, is that people like your ideas but they think you can’t win—you’re a nice guy, but you can’t beat the Republicans,’” Sanders [told TIME.](http://time.com/4187664/bernie-sanders-argues-he-can-win-in-november/) “That’s wrong.” The Iowa poll of 280 Democratic likely caucus-goers was conducted from Friday to Wednesday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points. Recent polls also showed Sanders is also [leading Clinton in New Hampshire](http://time.com/4186064/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-new-hampshire-poll/). ## Transcript [ APPLAUSE ] If the question is, can a Bernie Sanders, and what he stands for, and the fight for economic and social justice carry over to the general election, and millions of working people I think the evidence is that it can. Democrats love Bernie Sanders. Out of New Hampshire tonight, beating Hillary Clinton by 27 points- He is in vogue among younger voters, and they have a lot of passion for him. Democratic primary campaign that no one could have anticipated just a few weeks ago. There's never been another candidate like Bernie that can do what needs to be done. For me this is a life- time event. Raise your hands if you have not [ UNKNOWN ] with us before. Okay. Republicans win when voter turnout is low, when people are demoralized. That's the conditions that they do well in, so if in November of 2016 You have a demoralized, unenergetic base in the Democratic party, there is a decent chance that a Republican can win. If you have an excited Democratic base, and Independents, who are saying, you know what? It's time for real change in this country. It is time for a political revolution. Then we win. Voters are beginning to see Sanders as a possible nominee. Bernie Sanders is aware that African- American voters are not as familiar with him. He's really trying to figure out a way to introduce himself to African- American voters. [ MUSIC ] I don't think any president, not Bernie Sanders or anyone else Is able alone to address the major crisis facing this country. [ APPLAUSE ] The fact that we have received 2 and a half million individual contributions, unheard of, unprecedented. People want real change, so I think the message that we have Is a message for the middle class, working families, low income people, all over this country who are hungering and crying out for a very significant change in the current economic and political system. That the American people and young people Are prepared to stand up, to recapture our government for the big money interest. I want people to know what is going on in Congress to voice their opinion. Virtually all of the ideas that I am bringing forth, maybe all of them. Are supported widely by the Americans. You tell me. Hours a week deserve a living wage. [ NOISE ] How does it happen when overwhelming numbers of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents want to raise the minimum wage we can't get a minimum wage bill on the floor? Overwhelmingly people believe in pay equity for women. Overwhelmingly people believe in sensible gun safety legislation. Overwhelmingly the people believe that the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes, so the question that you guys have got to ask is how does it happen that congress is far removed from the American people? I hope to bridge that gap. 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