Clinton reclaims commanding lead over Sanders in Iowa

By Gabby Morrongiello, Gabby Morrongiello

Published December 20, 2015

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has reclaimed her lead by wide margins in Iowa, according to a new Monmouth University poll.

The former secretary of state has risen to 65 percent support among likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers, just two days after she and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held dueling campaign rallies in the earliest voting state.

Meanwhile, Sanders, who led Clinton in a separate poll last month, has fallen to a distant second at 24 percent. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley continues to trail both top-tier candidates, earning just 5 percent support among Iowa Democrats, Clinton has led in other Iowa polls, but by a much narrower margin.

Clinton's 41-point lead over Sanders comes on the heels of her crisp performance in the first Democratic debate, day-long Benghazi testimony and Vice President Joe Biden's decision to forego a White House bid of his own. The series of events led much of the mainstream media to declare last week Clinton's "best week" yet.