ANNAPOLIS (Feb. 24, 2016)—Maryland Democratic voters give Hillary Clinton a commanding 30-point lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state's presidential primary, a new Goucher College poll found. Clinton beats Sanders 58% to 28%, with 12% undecided.
In the Democratic race to succeed Barbara Mikulski in the U.S. Senate, Reps. Donna Edwards of Prince George's County and Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County are in a statistical dead heat, with Edwards polling 39% to Van Hollen's 37% and 23% of Democratic voters undecided.
The poll taken last week interviewed 363 registered Democratic voters by cell phone and landline as part of a larger sample. The survey of the Democrats has a margin of error of 5.1%
Pollster Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College, said "What we find in Maryland is similar to what we find in other states with a large proportion of African Americans in their statewide Democratic electorates—Hillary Clinton maintains a significant electoral advantage."
"Her strength in racially diverse electorates, combined with Sanders' focusing his campaign resources in other states, will make Clinton difficult to beat in Maryland," Kromer said.
On the Senate race, Kromer said, "The test for Edwards will be her ability to translate her current electoral support to campaign-sustaining donations. Van Hollen has the money in his campaign coffers for a strong push to the finish."
Kromer said Goucher did not have the time or resources to call enough Republican voters for a meaningful sample on the GOP Senate race.