Senator Sanders leads front-runner Clinton in Wisconsin: Poll

US Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders is leading front-runner Hillary Clinton by five percentage points in Wisconsin, with the state’s April 5 primary election is seen as a make-or-break for the candidates.

According to a new Fox Business poll released on Thursday, Sanders has the support of 48 percent of likely Democratic voters, while Clinton is trailing behind with 43 percent.

Clinton holds a slim lead among female voters with 47 percent to Sanders’ 44 percent, but among women under 45, he leads 66 to 28 percent.

In a separate poll conducted by the Public Policy Polling earlier on Thursday, the independent senator from Vermont is leading Clinton by 6 points in Wisconsin, which is viewed to be a Sanders-friendly state.

Sanders whose campaign was boosted by landslide victories in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii, is hoping to cut further into Clinton’s lead in next week's elections in the state.

Sanders believes his recent string of victories shows he can not only win the Democratic nomination, but also succeed in the general presidential election against the Republican nominee.

According to a CNN/ORC survey last month, Sanders has a 20-point lead over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in a head-to-head contest. Clinton held a 12-point lead over Trump in the same survey.

Sanders has long been critical of US foreign policy and was an early opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clinton tends to be more hawkish and inclined to use military force.

Sanders, 74, is also a leading proponent of issues such as income inequality, universal healthcare, parental leave, climate change, and campaign finance reform in the US.

EA