PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Pete Buttigieg keeps gaining on Sen. Bernard Sanders in the Democratic primary race in New Hampshire, according to a tracking poll released Thursday.
Support for Mr. Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, grew to 21%, behind Mr. Sanders at 31%, showed the Emerson College/WHDH 7 News poll.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, whose campaign has been losing traction, was tied at 12% with Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Mr. Sanders, a senator from Vermont, won New Hampshire’s 2016 primary in a landslide and remains the man to beat in the state’s leadoff primary Tuesday.
Seven of the top 2020 Democratic hopefuls will meet on the debate stage Friday in New Hampshire to make a final prime-time TV pitch to voters.
Mr. Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate to become a top-tier presidential contender, gained momentum in recent weeks, including an unexpectedly strong finish in the Iowa caucuses Monday that kicked off the primary season.
After a caucus marred by a technical snafu that delayed results, partial results show Mr. Buttigieg edging out Mr. Sanders by less than 1% of the vote.
With 96% of the precincts reporting, Mr. Buttigieg leads 26.2% to Mr. Sanders’ 26.1%.
Mrs. Warren was in third-pace with 18.2% and Mr. Biden in an embarrassing fourth-place with 15.8%.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota placed fifth with 12.2%, below the 15% threshold to win nominating delegates in Iowa, according to the preliminary results.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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