HAMDEN — Hillary Clinton holds a seven-point edge over Donald Trump, according to a new national poll released Thursday.
The latest findings from Quinnipiac University found Clinton claiming the support of 45% of likely voters, with Trump garnering 38%. Ten percent of likely voters back Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, according to the Quinnipiac poll, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein has the support of 4% of voters.
It continues what has been a strong month of polling for the former secretary of state, as Trump continues to look for a spark following his latest campaign shakeup.
Johnson is hoping to become the first third-party candidate since Ross Perot in 1992 to qualify for the presidential debates. In order to join Clinton and Trump on stage this fall, Johnson will need to average 15% in five national polls chosen by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Clinton’s lead over Trump swells without the third-party candidates included, Quinnipiac found. In a head-to-head with the Republican nominee, Clinton garners 51% and leads by 10.
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted by phone, cellular and landline, August 18-24 among a sample of 1,498 likely voters. It has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
