Poll: Trump, Clinton In Dead Heat Ahead Of First Presidential Debate
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New poll numbers show candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are locked in a tight race as they prepare to face off during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University Monday night.
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Clinton claiming 44 percent of likely voters, with Trump trailing only a point behind, at 43 percent. Among third-party candidates, Libertarian Gary Johnson takes 8 percent of the vote, with Green Party candidate Jill Stein claiming only 2 percent.
In a head-to-head showdown, Clinton would receive 47 percent of the vote, compared to Trump's 46 percent, according to the poll. Clinton leads among women (47-42 percent) and non-white voters (66-24 percent), while Trump is narrowly favored among men (44-40 percent) and white voters (50-36 percent.)
More than half of likely voters said that they are "more motivated than usual" to vote in this election.
Monday's high-stakes debate is the first of three this election season. It comes as both candidates are viewed negatively by large numbers of Americans, with Democrat Clinton facing questions about her trustworthiness and Republican Trump struggling to convince many voters that he has the temperament and policy depth to be president.
According to the poll, 41 percent of likely voters believe that Clinton will win Monday night's debate, with 32 percent saying they think Trump will come out on top.
Stay with CBSNewYork.com for full coverage of the presidential debate.
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