CNN Polls: Trump, Clinton Dominant

Local Editor

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are poised to lead the US' two major parties in this fall's presidential election, with a new nationwide CNN/ORC poll finding each well ahead of their closest competitors just as the race expands to a national stage.

Trump expanded his lead over the diminished field to capture the support of nearly half of Republican voters, while Clinton tops Sanders by nearly 20 points.

On the Republican side, the new survey found Trump's lead is dominant, and his support topped that of his four remaining opponents combined. He topped his nearest competitor by more than 30 points: 49% back Trump, 16% Marco Rubio, 15% Ted Cruz, 10% Ben Carson and 6% John Kasich.

Nearly 8 in 10 said that they are more enthusiastic about voting this year than in previous elections, among Republicans who are not supporting Trump, just 39% said they are more enthusiastic than in years past. Likewise, 78% of Trump's backers said they will definitely support him vs. 22% who said they could still change their minds.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton topped Bernie Sanders 55% to 38% in the new poll, a slightly wider margin than she held in late January before any primaries or caucuses were held.

She surpassed Sanders handily as the candidate who would be more effective at solving the country's problems and can better handle the responsibilities of being commander-in-chief, 59% said he is more honest and trustworthy vs. 36% who said Clinton is.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team