(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hillary Rodham Clinton is the top Democratic Party presidential hopeful in Iowa, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 33 per cent of Democratic caucus voters in the Hawkeye State will back the New York senator next year.

Former North Carolina senator John Edwards is second with 22 per cent, followed by Illinois senator Barack Obama with 21 per cent, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson with nine per cent, and Delaware senator Joe Biden with four per cent.

In the sample of Republican Party supporters, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is first with 25 per cent, followed by actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 19 per cent, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee with 18 per cent, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani with 13 per cent. Support is lower for Arizona senator John McCain, Kansas senator Sam Brownback, Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo, Texas congressman Ron Paul, and California congressman Duncan Hunter.

Since 1976, the Iowa caucus has kicked off the process of finding presidential nominees for the two major political parties in the United States. The caucus differs from a presidential primary because the casting of ballots in favour of a particular candidate is preceded by a "gathering of neighbours" where specific platform issues are discussed.

In 2004, Massachusetts senator John Kerry won the Democratic Iowa caucus with 38 per cent, followed by Edwards with 32 per cent, former Vermont governor Howard Dean with 18 per cent, Missouri congressman Dick Gephardt with 11 per cent, and Kucinich with one per cent. Incumbent president George W. Bush won the Republican caucus unopposed.

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

Original Releases from Rasmussen Reports: Republican Caucus and Democratic Caucus

Polling Data

Election 2008: Iowa Democratic Caucus

Election 2008: Iowa Republican Caucus

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 650 likely Republican caucus voters in Iowa, and 1,017 likely Democratic caucus voters in Iowa, conducted on Oct. 10 and Oct. 14, 2007. Margins of error are 5 per cent and 3 per cent.

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