CBS News Poll: Clinton Has Significant Lead Over Sanders In New Jersey Ahead Of Primary
TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork)-- New Jersey is one of the six major primaries coming up Tuesday in the race to the White House.
A new CBS News Battleground Tracker Poll shows Hillary Clinton cleaning up in the garden state.
The poll shows Clinton is nearly doubling up Bernie Sanders among likely Democratic voters 61 percent to 34 percent.
New Jersey voters are also backing Clinton in a prospective general election against Republican Donald Trump. The poll shows Clinton is leading 49 percent to 34 percent when up against the presumptive GOP nominee.
Clinton still needs about 60 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported. If she gets that by the time Jersey wraps up she could be declared the nominee before California primary results are in.
"After Tuesday I am going to do everything I can do to reach out and try to unify the Democratic party and I expect Sanders to do the same," Clinton said.
In California, Sanders has been putting up a tough fight, CBS2's Danielle Nottingham reported. The latest CBS News poll shows Clinton is just ahead by two points in the state.
"I think if I am not the nominee, and we're going to fight to become the nominee-- it is Secretary Clinton's job to explain to those people why she should get their support," the Vermont senator said.
CBS News Director of Elections Anthony Salvanto said a new poll shows 71 percent of Democrats want Sanders to back Clinton after the primaries.
"The prospect of facing Donald Trump is having some unifying effect, especially among Sanders voters, many of whom say they would back Hillary Clinton in November if she is the nominee," Salvanto said.
Sanders has vowed to take his bid to the party convention in July.
