Poll: Obama Leads Clinton Among N.C. Democrats

Raleigh, N.C. — Barack Obama has an early lead on Hillary Clinton among Democratic voters in North Carolina, two months before the state's presidential primary, according to a new poll.

Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, is favored by 47 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, compared with 40 percent for Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York.

Polling firm Rasmussen Reports surveyed 716 likely voters in the state last Thursday. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Obama leads by 14 points among men and 2 points among women, according to the poll. He has a 71 to 18 percent lead among African-American voters, while Clinton holds a 20-point lead among white voters.

If Clinton wins the nomination, about two-thirds of Obama’s supporters said they would be somewhat likely or very likely to vote for her in November against Republican presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Eighteen percent of Obama supporters said they would be "not very likely" to vote for Clinton in the general election, and another 14 percent said they would be "not at all likely" to vote for her.

If Obama wins the nomination, less than half of Clinton supporters said they would be somewhat likely or very likely to vote for Obama against McCain. Nineteen percent said they would be "not very likely" to vote for Obama in the general election, and 26 percent said they would be "not at all likely" to vote for him.

Obama has a 109-delegate lead over Clinton, and North Carolina has 134 delegates at stake.