Poll: Sanders takes lead over Clinton in N.H.

A new poll shows Bernie Sanders taking the lead -- by 9 percentage points -- over Hillary Clinton in the key primary state of New Hampshire.

Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, is backed by 41% of Democratic voters in New Hampshire, while Clinton has 32%, according to the new NBC News/Marist Poll.

Vice President Biden, who has not decided whether to seek the presidency, is third in New Hampshire with 16%, the poll said.

Without Biden in the race, Sanders’ lead over the former secretary of State in the poll increases to 11 points, 49% to 38%.

In July, the same survey showed Clinton  ahead of Sanders by 42%-32% in New Hampshire, with Biden third at 12%.

The NBC/Marist Poll also shows that Clinton leads Sanders in Iowa, 38% to 27%, though that is down from the 24-point advantage she enjoyed in July.

The Iowa caucuses in February are the first contest for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, followed by the New Hampshire primary.

Both the Iowa and New Hampshire polls were conducted Aug. 26-Sept. 2. The Iowa poll surveyed 345 potential Democratic caucus-goers with an error margin of 5.3 percentage points, and the New Hampshire poll surveyed 356 potential Democratic primary voters with an error margin of 5.2 percentage points.