by Jill Zuckman
Manchester, N.H. – Sen. John McCain has emerged as the leader over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in New Hampshire and Sen. Hillary Clinton has regained a double-digit lead over Sen. Barack Obama here, according to a new 7 News/Suffolk University survey released this morning.
The poll reflects what has become increasingly apparent in New Hampshire – that McCain is surging among undecided Republican and independent voters. McCain’s campaign events have been packed with people eager to listen to him and Romney has begun attacking him in order to chip away at his upward march.
The survey shows McCain with 31 percent to Romney’s 25 percent, the first time McCain has been in the lead. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani trails at 14 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 9 percent.
“Many of the Republican candidates have been talking about faith, but it looks like John McCain is headed for a religious experience in the Granite State,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “If these numbers hold up, New Hampshire Republicans may give McCain the nickname of Lazarus, rising from the dead.”
In the Democratic primary, Clinton has made headway in persuading undecided voters to support her. She has 36 percent of the vote compared to 22 percent for Obama and 14 percent for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.
“The Hillary Clinton machine survived last month’s doldrums and emerged stronger,” Paleologos said. “Democrats danced with Obama in December, but haven’t stayed with him.”
The poll has a margin of error of 5.65 percent and was conducted Dec. 27 through Dec. 31.