Warren, Trailing Sanders In New MA Poll, Feeling The Heat

MASSACHUSETTS — Elizabeth Warren's uphill climb now appears that much more daunting after new polling released just days before Super Tuesday showed her trailing Bernie Sanders by a significant margin in her home state.

The WBUR poll released Friday morning showed Warren trailing Sanders by 8 points among likely Democratic primary voters in Massachusetts. The poll's margin of error is 4.9 percent.

Sanders has emerged as the front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination for president heading into Super Tuesday.

Of the 426 individuals WBUR polled Feb. 23-26, 25 percent said they were supporting or leaning toward Sanders. Warren was second at 17 percent.

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg was at 14 percent, billionaire Michael Bloomberg was at 13 percent, former Vice President Joe Biden was at 9 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar was at 6 percent.

Warren polled poorly among men — her 9 percent was higher than only Klobuchar among the aforementioned candidates — but well among women at 22 percent. Sanders polled at 28 and 23 percent, respectively.

Sanders also held a broad advantage in the 18-44 age group with 47 percent. Warren was second at 16 percent.

The poll is a wild turnaround from one WBUR held in October, which showed Warren at 33 percent, 20 points clear of Sanders.

Sanders appears to smell blood. He is rallying Friday in Springfield before bringing the Sanders show to Boston Common Saturday while other candidates jostle for position in the South Carolina primary.

(Patch will have live coverage from the Sanders rally in Boston.)