Trump, Sanders maintain leads in New Hampshire while opponents climb – poll

One day prior to the New Hampshire presidential primary, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders hold commanding leads in their respective contests, though their rivals are gaining ground, according to a new polling analysis.

Following a stinging second-place finish at last week's Iowa Caucuses, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump leads top opponent Marco Rubio by a margin of 31 percent to 15 percent, according to a new CNN 'Poll of Polls.' Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the winner in Iowa, sits at 13 percent, while Ohio Governor John Kasich has 11-percent support and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has 10 percent.

While Trump holds a firm lead, Rubio has gained four points since CNN's previous polling assessment in New Hampshire.

Other recent polling in New Hampshire shows Trump with substantial leads in a variety of surveys conducted by the likes of the University of Massachusetts, the Boston Herald, and the American Research Group, Inc.

The latest 'Poll of Polls' was compiled ahead of Saturday evening, when the Republican candidates met for debate ahead of Tuesday's primary voting. 

On the Democratic side, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders holds a 54-40 percent lead over former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, though Clinton's support has increased by three percentage points since CNN's last polling effort. Clinton narrowly bested Sanders in Iowa last week.

Other recent polls in New Hampshire also have Sanders up big in the Democratic race. According to RealClear Politics, in three polls that gathered voter opinion as late as Sunday, Sanders had a lead of at least 12 points. In polls conducted as late as Saturday, Sanders led Clinton by an average of about 14 points.

Sanders is coming off a fundraising month that superseded Clinton's. The Clinton campaign said last week that it raised a total of $15 million in January, falling short of Sanders’ $20 million raised during the same period.

This is the first time that the Sanders campaign has ever outpaced his Clinton in terms of fundraising haul. The new numbers bring the Clinton’s race total to a historical $130 million, with Sanders at $105 million.

Sanders is outspending Clinton by a 3-to-1 margin in New Hampshire on television advertising, Politico reported Sunday.

Candidates of both parties are making their final push for voters in the Granite State, with voting set to begin just after midnight on Tuesday. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner is predicting more than 550,000 people will vote, which would mean a record turnout for a New Hampshire primary election.