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Democrats 2008: Hillary 42%, Obama 23%

July 31, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the national frontrunner in the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 42 per cent of respondents would vote for the New York senator in a 2008 primary, up four points since mid-July.

Illinois senator Barack Obama is second with 23 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 14 per cent. Support is lower for Delaware senator Joe Biden and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.

On Jul. 28, Edwards defended his call for an increase in the capital-gains tax, saying, "What I say to (Mitt) Romney and (Rudy) Giuliani is all that money that they're making from their investments, (...) I want them to pay their fair share of taxes on those investments."

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.

Polling Data

Democratic Presidential Primary Contenders

Jul. 26

Jul. 12

Jun. 28

Hillary Rodham Clinton

42%

38%

39%

Barack Obama

23%

26%

26%

John Edwards

14%

13%

13%

Joe Biden

3%

2%

3%

Bill Richardson

2%

3%

5%

Dennis Kucinich

--

2%

3%

Chris Dodd

--

2%

1%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with approximately 750-800 likely Democratic primary voters, conducted from Jul. 23 to Jul. 26, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.