CONCORD (New Hampshire), Jan 5: Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton maintains a lead over top rival Barack Obama ahead of New Hampshire’s primary next week, but her margin is slipping, according to polls released on Saturday.

Clinton holds a four-percentage point lead over the Obama three days ahead of the northeastern state of New Hampshire’s primary contest, according to a Zogby poll taken on Thursday and Friday.

Thirty-two percent of likely voters say they support Clinton, a senator from New York, against 28 per cent who say they support Obama, a senator from Illinois.

Just before Obama swept to victory in the Iowa caucuses — the nation’s first nominating contest — on Thursday, Clinton held a six point lead over Obama.

More striking still was a Suffolk University poll which showed Clinton’s lead over Obama had melted from 16 points to seven between Thursday and Saturday, indicating the surge of support enjoyed by Obama.

Former first lady Clinton, 60, is ahead of Obama, 46, in national polls.

On the Republican side the race was similarly tight. Vietnam veteran and Arizona senator John McCain, who has long led New Hampshire polls, seemed to have taken a hit from foe Mitt Romney’s campaign attacks.

The Zogby poll put McCain in the lead with 34 percent of likely voters compared to Romney’s 30, though the Suffolk poll suggested Romney was the leader with 29 percent to McCain’s 25.—AFP