Wisconsin Straw Poll: Clinton 49 Percent, Sanders 41 Percent

A straw poll of more than 500 Democrats suggests that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could mount a powerful challenge to presumed front-runner Hillary Clinton in the race to become the Democratic nominee for president.

John Nichols reports at The Nation:

Clinton still maintains a wide lead in national polls and in those from early battleground states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. But the delegates, alternates, and registered guests at the Wisconsin party convention—among the state’s most activist Democrats—gave Sanders 41 percent support to 49 percent for Clinton.

The breakdown of the straw poll vote, which was conducted by the well regarded politics website WisPolitics.com, was:

Hillary Clinton 252 Bernie Sanders 208 Joe Biden 16 Martin O’Malley 16 Jim Webb 8 Lincoln Chafee 5 No vote 1 (Write-ins:) Elizabeth Warren 4 Tom Vilsack 1