Poll shows Clinton, McCain lead in New Hampshire

By Steve Holland

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain hold leads in New Hampshire four days before the state's presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Friday.

The poll was taken before Iowa's caucuses on Thursday, when Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee easily captured the first big prizes in the state-by-state battle to choose candidates in November's presidential election.

In the New Hampshire poll, Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, led Illinois Sen. Obama 32 percent to 26 percent among likely voters in the state's Democratic primary. Former Sen. John Edwards, the runner-up in Iowa, was at 20 percent, and no other Democrat was in double digits.

"There will be an Iowa bounce in New Hampshire for Obama," pollster John Zogby said. "Clearly the burden here is going to be on Clinton to maintain the validity of her candidacy."

Among Republicans in New Hampshire, Arizona Sen. McCain holds an early four-point edge on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 34 percent to 30 percent.

Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister, was at 10 percent in New Hampshire, which does not have as many of the evangelical voters who helped propel him to his Iowa win.

"McCain is in a good position here already, and Romney was really hurt by his showing in Iowa," Zogby said. "Huckabee will get some kind of bounce in New Hampshire."

About 7 percent of Republicans and 8 percent of Democrats remained undecided in the New Hampshire poll, leaving room for momentum swings even before the Iowa results were known.