California poll: Clinton leads Sanders by 2 points

by Jesse Byrnes - 06/02/16 7:24 AM ET

A poll released early Thursday finds a newly tightened race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders ahead of next week’s Democratic presidential primary in California.

Clinton leads Sanders by just 2 points, 45 to 43 percent, among likely Democratic primary voters, according to the final Field Poll ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

{mosads}Clinton’s lead over her Democratic challenger has narrowed in recent months, from 11 points in January to 6 points in early April.

The Field Poll finds that Clinton leads by 9 points among registered Democrats, 49 to 40 percent, while Sanders leads among “non-partisan” voters, 54 to 27 percent.

Another NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll of likely Democratic primary voters in California released Wednesday night found Clinton similarly leading Sanders by 2 points, 49 to 47 percent.

Previous polls conducted last month in the state found Clinton holding anywhere between a 2-point and 18-point lead.

Clinton reportedly cut short a campaign swing in New Jersey this week to spend more time in California, and her campaign dispatched her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to campaign in the state through Monday.

Hillary Clinton is looking to clinch enough delegates for the Democratic nomination next week, while Sanders has vowed to continue fighting until the convention in July.

The new poll of 571 likely Democratic primary voters, conducted May 26–31, has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

Tags 2016 Democratic primary Bernie Sanders Bill Clinton California Hillary Clinton