{UAH} Poll: Hillary Clinton, Chris Christie in a draw

Poll: Hillary Clinton, Chris Christie in a draw

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The CNN/ORC International poll has Clinton trailing by 2 percent. | AP Photos

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/hillary-clinton-chris-christie-2016-poll-101553.html#ixzz2of7WaePe

By JOSE DELREAL | 12/26/13 5:05 PM EST

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are in a virtual tie in a hypothetical 2016 presidential matchup, but Clinton holds a strong lead against eight other potential GOP contenders, according to a poll released Thursday.

The CNN/ORC International poll has Christie leading Clinton 48 percent to 46 percent among registered voters nationally, within the survey's margin of error. The New Jersey governor polls ahead among independent voters and men, while Clinton holds a strong lead among women. Neither Christie nor Clinton have announced their intentions to run for president, but both are widely considered to be strong potential candidates.

"[Christie] performs particularly well among independents, winning nearly six in 10 in that key group," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "He also wins a majority of suburbanites and older voters, something that no other GOP hopeful [that was] tested was able to do against Clinton."

Clinton polls far better when matched up against other potential Republican candidates: She is ahead of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) by 8 points; Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) by 13 points; Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) by 18 points; and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush by 21 points.

Early presidential polls are heavily influenced by name recognition, Holland said, adding, "Keep in mind that polls taken so many years before an election have little or no predictive value."

The survey of 950 registered voters was conducted Dec. 16 to 19 and has a margin of error of plus- or minus-3 percentage points.

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