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Sanders Closes in on Clinton's New York Lead, Cutting the Gap in Half Since March

Bernie Sanders

Hillary Clinton’s lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I, Vt.) in New York has dropped by half since March, according to a new poll.

Last month, the former secretary of state led Sanders 55 percent to 34 percent, Siena College reported Wednesday. Clinton is now only 10 percentage points ahead of her opponent, leading Sanders 52 percent to 42 percent with the New York primary election less than a week away.

Though national polling on average shows Clinton 13 points ahead of Sanders in the state, the number marks a sharp drop from her 32-point lead in New York a month ago, according to an average of eight polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.

"While Clinton continues to hold a double-digit lead over Sanders, the Brooklyn-born Sanders has tightened the race in the last month over Clinton, the twice-elected former United States Senator from New York," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Sanders now leads Clinton by 52 points among voters under 35, up from 17 points last month. Clinton meanwhile holds a 22-point lead among voters over 55, down from a 39-point lead in March.

Greenberg said while younger voters are "feeling the Bern," it remains unclear whether they will show up to the polls for the April 17 election.

Sanders has also sliced Clinton’s lead among white voters, narrowing the gap to just three points, down from a 17-point gap last month. Black voters still favor Clinton by a 2-to-1 margin.

Sanders and Clinton have been campaigning in New York since Saturday. The two Democratic presidential hopefuls will debate each other in Brooklyn Thursday night.