Hillary Clinton might actually have a problem to her left.
The Democratic presidential candidate barely beat out her socialist competition Bernie Sanders in the Wisconsin straw poll taken Saturday at the state Democratic Party convention in Milwaukee, according to Politico.
While Clinton secured 49 percent of the delegate votes at the convention, Sanders followed close behind in second place with 41 percent.
Neither White House contender actually attended the Wisconsin event, but Hillary sent a letter that was read by a state Democratic Party official in which she promised to lend her talents to building the party. Sanders appeared in a video message that aired after the straw poll was conducted, but there was no organized effort by his campaign to have a presence at the event.
“Just imagine if we had really worked it,” the Vermont senator’s campaign spokesman Michael Briggs said in response to the strong straw poll numbers.
And, though Clinton still leads Sanders by a wide margin in national polls, the former secretary of state may just have something to fear in Sanders’ surge.
According to a CNN/ORC poll released last week, Clinton would win 60 percent of the liberal vote if the Democratic primary were held today and Sanders would trail far behind with 10 percent. However, Clinton has lost a significant 9 percentage points since mid-April, while Sanders has gained 5 points.
If anyone is going to slow the Clinton machine, it looks like it’s going to have to be Sanders. Democratic presidential candidates Martin O’Malley and Lincoln Chafee snagged only 3 percent and 1 percent of the Wisconsin straw poll vote, respectively. Possible candidates Joe Biden and Jim Webb secured 3 percent and 2 percent.
Upon the announcement of his campaign for the White House, Sanders cautioned Clinton not to “underestimate” him. Perhaps she should listen.
