Hillary Clinton is heading to Iowa as the politician that most Democrats would choose as their 2016 presidential nominee . According to a new CNN/ORC International poll , 53 % of all registered Democrats contacted in Iowa said they would support Hillary Clinton if the 2016 caucuses were held today . That number far outpaces the 15 % that would opt for Vice President Joe Biden , 7 % who would choose Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 5 % who would pick Sen. Bernie Sanders . Clinton will be visiting Iowa for the first time in six years on Sunday when she headlines the last Harkin Steak Fry . Biden , likewise , will be in the state Wednesday to speak at a liberal Catholic event in Des Moines . Although Clinton tops Biden with men and women , there is a noticeable gender split between the two politicians . Sixty-three percent of women favor Clinton , compared with Biden 's 10 % . With men , however , Biden is drawing 21 % support -- a number more than twice his support among women . Hillary Clinton to decide on 2016 around end of year . On the Republican side , Mike Huckabee nearly laps the field with 21 % of all registered Republicans contacted in the poll saying they would support the former Arkansas governor if the 2016 Iowa caucuses were held today . Paul Ryan is second with 12 % , and there is a cadre of politicians -- including Sen. Rand Paul , former Florida Gov . Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie -- with support in the single digits . Huckabee and Ryan are getting similar support with men -- 15 % and 16 % , respectively -- but it is with women that the former Arkansas governor jumps ahead of the congressman . Twenty-seven percent of registered Republican women polled said they would pick Huckabee , compared with 8 % who choose Ryan . As the first-in-the-nation caucus state , Iowa is critically important to presidential hopefuls and can make or break a campaign . With almost two years until the 2016 presidential election and a little over a year before the Iowa caucuses , most Republicans and Democrats polled have openly admitted that they are toying with the idea of running for president . The CNN/ORC poll was conducted September 8-10 , with 1,013 Iowa adults -- 608 likely voters -- questioned by telephone . The survey 's overall sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points . Would Hillary Clinton top Chris Christie in New Jersey ?
Hillary Clinton is tops in Iowa with 53 % support from registered Democrats . Vice President Joe Biden finished second with 15 % . The GOP field is more crowded , with almost 10 politicians in the single digits . Former Gov . Mike Huckabee leads the Republican field with 21 % .