Clinton Allies Growing Nervous as Democratic Race Tightens

The Democratic race grows narrower each day just head of the South Carolina and Nevada primaries, and Hillary Clinton's allies are becoming nervous, The Hill reports.

A CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday showed the former secretary of state and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in a dead heat in Nevada — a huge change from the 23-point lead Clinton held just last month.

"I don't get it. I don't think anyone expected this race to look like this," said one former Clinton aide, according to The Hill. "A big loss in New Hampshire, basically a tie going into Nevada. You have to ask yourself, 'What's next?'"

The former aide added, "It's hard to feel confident about South Carolina if you lose Nevada."

According to the 2014 U.S. Census, 27.8 percent of Nevada's population is Hispanic — a demographic Clinton his relying on to help her win the nomination.

But The Hill notes that the "fear for the Clintons is that Sanders will follow up his victory in New Hampshire with a win in Nevada, and that this could give him momentum in South Carolina."

"I think there's real genuine concern about Bernie's momentum and that the firewall doesn't seem to be holding back the fire," said a close friend of the Clintons. "I don't think people think she isn't going to win the nomination. But I do think people think it'll take a lot more money and a lot more time."

If Sanders can win South Carolina, or even significantly narrow the gap, several Clinton surrogates and associates told The Hill that their fears of Clinton leads disappearing will grow.

"You don't want a streak and with two losses in a row, you're stating a streak," said one Democratic strategist. "Inside the deep legions of the Clinton campaign, they remember what happened when Barack Obama won in a streak. It was over."

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