Nation/World

Quinnipiac poll: Clinton would get 65% of Democratic votes for president, if primary held today

The 2016 Democratic presidential nomination right now is Hillary Clinton's to lose, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.

But if she doesn't run, her big advantage goes to Vice President Joe Biden.

The new Quinnipiac Polling Institute survey found Clinton with 65 percent of Democratic votes. Trailing far behind was Biden with 13 percent. Next came New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 4 percent.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner each had less than 1 percent.

Take Clinton out of the race, and the poll has a different look. Biden would get 45 percent, followed by 15 percent for Cuomo, 6 percent for, Patrick, 3 percent for O'Malley and 2 percent for Warner.

"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a rock-solid hold on the hearts of Democratic voters at this point," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"If she decides not to run, Vice President Joseph Biden does almost as well as she does against the rest of the field. There is a long way to go until 2016, but none of the other younger potential candidates for the Democratic nomination currently has anything approaching widespread support from party voters."

To read more: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes--centers/polling-institute/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=1891

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