Bernie Sanders wins big endorsement in N.H.

Maureen Groppe | USA TODAY

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who drew a large crowd in Iowa this weekend, also had a newsworthy Fourth of July in New Hampshire.

Sanders won the endorsement of New Hampshire Democratic activist Dudley Dudley, CNN reported Saturday.

Dudley, who supported Barack Obama in 2008, told CNN that Sanders is "compelling and trustworthy." She also likes his views on campaign finance reform and income inequality.

The endorsement came less than two months after she held a party at her home for former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

O'Malley's campaign declined to comment to CNN.

Sanders was in Iowa where more than 2,000 people attended a rally for him in Council Bluffs Friday. Sanders' campaign said the crowd was his largest yet.

The rally was held a day after a Quinnipiac poll showed Sanders gaining ground on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. Clinton led Sanders 52% to 33%, compared with the 60% to 15% lead she held in a May 7 survey of likely Democratic caucus-goers.

In the July survey, Vice President Joe Biden was the top choice of 7% of those polled and O'Malley had 3%. Former U.S. Sen. James Webb of Virginia, who entered the race Thursday, had 1 percent.

Webb's announcement generated 81,000 interactions on Facebook, the least of the Democratic hopefuls. In the 24 hours of O'Malley's announcement, there were about 120,000 likes, posts, comments and other interactions related to his campaign.

Sanders, however, had 1.2 million and Clinton and 10.1 million, according to Facebook.