As Sen. Bernie Sanders continues his polling surge in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Friday shows the senator drawing into a statistical tie with former Vice President Joe Biden in the national Democratic presidential primary race.
Among Democratic voters planning on going to their state's caucus or primary, Sanders captured 27 percent to Joe Biden's 26 percent. The poll's margin of error was +/- 4.74 percentage points.
The results reflect an upward trajectory for Sanders: he got 21 percent in December, 19 in October, 14 in September, and 13 in July.
By contrast, Biden's historical results in the poll have remained largely unchained. The centrist claimed 28 percent in December, 27 in October, 31 in September, and 26 in July.
The only other candidate who nabbed double digits in the new poll was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who got 15 percent. Warren was the top second-choice candidate, getting 24 percent. Biden (20) and Sanders followed (15) in that category.
Sanders also led with respect to enthusiasm voters have about candidates. Thirty-two percent said they are enthusiastic about Sanders. Biden and Warren followed, with each getting 26 percent.
"We will win this!" said Sanders surrogate RoseAnn DeMoro in response to the new poll.
The results come just days before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus on February 3. New Hampshire's Democratic primary is February 11.
