A poll released Friday shows that Bernie Sanders has significantly narrowed the lead Hillary Clinton once claimed in New York.

The new Emerson College poll (pdf) shows Clinton leading Sanders among Democratic primary voters in the state by 18 points—56 percent to 38 percent. That marks a significant drop in support for the former secretary of state since the same poll was taken less than one month ago.

The mid-March Emerson poll showed Sanders trailing Clinton by 48 percent; she claimed 71 percent compared to his 23 percent.

The new results also show Sanders having gained 6 points with African Americans and 23 points with Hispanics since the previous poll. The one group Sanders claims a lead over is young voters, having 60 percent of support from those aged 18-34 compared to Clinton's 36 percent.

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The new poll was conducted April 6 and 7 and has a margin of error of +/ - 5.4 percent.

Referring to the April 19 primary in New York, CNN political commentator and former green jobs adviser to President Barack Obama Van Jones told Democracy Now! on Wednesday, "this is the war to settle the score." Jones also cautioned against assuming Clinton would win in what he called her "third declared home state" after Arkansas and Illinois.

New reporting by the New York Times looks at what's at stake in the state as well. "The state has 291 delegates, including 247 pledged delegates up for grabs. (There are also 44 superdelegates.) Even with his recent wins in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii and Wisconsin, Mr. Sanders would need an estimated 56 percent of the remaining pledged delegates nationwide to overtake Mrs. Clinton, who maintains a lead of 219. A win for Mr. Sanders in New York would not only buoy his candidacy, but it would also be an embarrassment to the former senator from New York."

Days ahead of the state's primary, the two Democratic candidates will square off for a debate in Brooklyn.