Hillary Clinton set for campaign stops in Iowa City, Ottumwa

DES MOINES - Front-running Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be making a return trip to Iowa next week.

Officials with the Clinton campaign say the former U.S. Secretary of State, New York senator and first lady has slated organizing events in Iowa City and Ottumwa next Tuesday. Clinton's trip 'will focus on speaking with Iowans about her campaign to fight for an America where everyone can get ahead and continuing to build a robust grass roots organization in Iowa,” according to a news release announcing Clinton's Tuesday itinerary.

Clinton will attend an organizing event at the Iowa City Public Library at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday and then travel to a house party in Ottumwa, where she is scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m. to potential Iowa caucuses-goers 'about her commitment to represent everyday Americans and their families,” according to the Clinton campaign.

Friday's announcement came on the heels of an independent Quinnipiac University poll of likely caucus participants in Iowa indicating that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont - who campaigned in Iowa this week - is beginning to close the gap among Iowa Democrats in his pursuit of the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

In that poll, Clinton garnered 52 percent support compared to Sanders' 33 percent among Iowans who say they expect to attend next February's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses. While Clinton still holds a comfortable lead, the numbers have tightened since a May 7 survey in which 60 percent of Iowa participants favored Clinton while 15 percent expressed support for the independent Vermont senator who is competing in the Democratic presidential sweepstakes.