NEW YORK CITY — Home-field advantage will give Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump a big boost in the New York primary, according to a poll released Thursday by Quinnipiac University.
Three weeks before the April 19 primary, 54 percent of New York Democrats said they will be voting for Hillary Clinton, who kicked off her primary campaign in New York sporting a leather jacket at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Only 42 percent of the state’s Democrats said they would be backing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, though he hails from Brooklyn.
New York City mogul Donald Trump leads among Republicans with 56 percent of the vote, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz trails with just 20 percent of the vote.
“The home-court advantage helps both party's front-runners in the presidential primaries in New York,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Maurice Carroll said in a statement.
“Donald Trump, whose name is emblazoned all over New York City buildings, trounces the other two Republicans, while Hillary Clinton, the adopted daughter from Chappaqua leads Sanders in double digits on the Democratic side," Carroll said.
Should New Yorkers be asked to choose between the New York candidates in the November election, the poll found Clinton would beat Trump in New York State 53 percent to 33 percent.
Trump took to Twitter to celebrate his predicted win over the other Republican candidates.
New Quinnipiac poll today of Trump vs. Clinton shows me 20% ahead in New York!! Is what Hillary would say. BAD. pic.twitter.com/STrhelyJJy
— DonaId J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 31, 2016
