Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders in Boston Monday for Final Super Tuesday Push

BOSTON, MA - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both rally in Boston Monday, making their final pitch to Bay State voters before a tight Super Tuesday race once considered a lock for Sanders.

Former Secretary of State Clinton visits Springfield, then Boston Monday morning. She turns her attention to Massachusetts as the latest WBUR poll shows her narrowly edging Sanders in Democrats’ nomination contest, 49-44.

The senator from Vermont holds his own rally in Milton Monday evening.

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Sanders’ path to the nomination is narrow at best, and Massachusetts is considered a must-win for the self-described Democratic socialist. It is one of 12 Super Tuesday states whose vote March 1 will help pick Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee.

Massachusetts is theoretically friendly territory for Sanders, who plays well in states with similarly strong white, liberal demographics. That said, Clinton won Massachusetts in 2008, and the WBUR poll out last week suggests a much tighter race than previously forecast.

Even a narrow win here looks bad for Sanders. A close analysis of the race suggests he needs to not only beat Clinton in Massachusetts, but truly clobber her.

This is just one of many fronts in the Democrats’ battle Tuesday, so it’s telling that both candidates opted to bring the fight to Boston on the eve of the primary.

Clinton’s dual rallies Monday mark her first public campaign appearance in the state this cycle. Sanders was here earlier this month, rallying students at the UMass-Amherst.

The WBUR poll shows college-age voters remain planted squarely in Sanders’ camp. The defining question Tuesday may be whether they turn out in force at the polls.

Massachusetts Republicans also vote Super Tuesday. That same WBUR poll reaffirms businessman Donald Trump’s ample lead among likely voters in the state.

» Photo by Bill B. via Flickr / Creative Commons