AP Photo Poll: Clinton’s lead over Sanders drops to new low

Hillary Clinton's national lead over Bernie Sanders has dropped to its lowest margin so far in the ABC News/Washington Post national poll out Wednesday, surveying registered Democrats and independents leaning toward voting in their state's Democratic primary.

Clinton earned 55 percent, representing a cumulative nine-point decrease from the same survey in October. At the same time, Sanders took 36 percent, up 8 points in the latest survey after falling off by 6 points in the December poll. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley registered within the margin of error, at 4 percent.


On the issues, Clinton is still the most trusted on nearly every topic except for notably on bank regulation, where 48 percent to 42 percent of voters now prefer Sanders.

While 65 percent to 28 percent said Clinton has a better chance of winning the presidency, a plurality of 48 percent to 36 percent said they find the Vermont senator more honest and trustworthy, keeping in line with survey findings throughout the course of the campaign.

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama and his campaigns, remarked in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday that he did not see the issue of honesty as a deciding factor.

"I think, Hugh, at the end of the day, this race is going to come down to, in the general election, bigger questions about the direction of the country and who people most identify with in that regard," Axelrod said. "And you know, while there’s no doubt that she’s got vulnerabilities on that end, there’ll be plenty of vulnerabilities on the other side as well. And at the end of the day, I think it’s going to be about bigger things than that."

Clinton leads Sanders 59 percent to 33 percent among registered Democratic voters, but Sanders holds a six-point edge of 49 percent to 43 percent among independents who lean toward the Democratic Party. Commitment to Clinton is also stronger in this survey, with 57 percent of the former secretary of state's supporters indicating that they are sticking with their candidate and 41 percent saying there is a chance they could change their mind. In the case of Sanders, however, 46 percent said they are wedded to voting for him, while 53 percent said they could switch.

The poll was conducted Jan. 21-24 via landlines and cellphones, surveying 1,001 adults nationwide with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Among the registered and leaning Democrats surveyed, the margin of error is plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.