THE RACE: The national presidential race for Democrats, Republicans.

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THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS

Hillary Clinton 35 percent

Barack Obama 22 percent

Al Gore 17 percent

John Edwards 14 percent

(all other candidates below 5 percent)

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THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS

Rudy Giuliani 31 percent

John McCain 22 percent

Fred Thompson 12 percent

Newt Gingrich 8 percent

(all other candidates below 5 percent)

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The USA Today-Gallup national poll of 1,007 adults was conducted March 23-25 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Democratic sample of 493 Democrats and those who lean Democratic and the Republican sample of 429 Republicans and those who lean Republican each had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

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OF INTEREST: Giuliani's 24-percentage point lead in this poll in early March was down to 9 percentage points. Edwards, who announced recently he would stay in the race despite his wife's cancer, bumped up slightly from 9 percent in early March to 14 percent. Fred Thompson, the politician/actor who is considering a bid, was third among Republicans.

COMPLETE RESULTS: http://www.usatoday.com/news/polls/tables/live/2007-03-26-poll.htm

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