Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE's lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' Two GOP governors urge Republicans to hold off on Supreme Court nominee Sanders knocks McConnell: He's going against Ginsburg's 'dying wishes' MORE (I-Vt.) in South Carolina has narrowed to just 4 points as the state's presidential primary nears, according to a new NBC News-Marist survey released Monday.

The slim lead is well within the survey's margin of error of 6 percentage points. Twenty-seven percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they favored Biden, while 23 percent said they would support Sanders, who has emerged as the clear front-runner in the race after a decisive victory in the Nevada caucuses.

Sanders's strong showing in Nevada came on the heels of a victory in New Hampshire and a virtual tie with former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Bogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration Overnight Defense: Woodward book causes new firestorm | Book says Trump lashed out at generals, told Woodward about secret weapons system | US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq MORE in Iowa.

ADVERTISEMENT

Billionaire activist Tom Steyer Tom SteyerTV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month Inslee calls Biden climate plan 'perfect for the moment' OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump administration finalizes plan to open up Alaska wildlife refuge to drilling | California finalizes fuel efficiency deal with five automakers, undercutting Trump | Democrats use vulnerable GOP senators to get rare win on environment MORE is in a distant third with 15 percent support, according to the poll. No other candidate in the field garnered double-digit support, with 9 percent of respondents backing Buttigieg and 8 percent supporting Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenBiden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon MORE (D-Mass.). Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill EPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates MORE (D-Minn.) earned 5 percent support in the survey.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not competing in South Carolina, instead focusing his campaign on Super Tuesday states.

South Carolina's primary likely will be pivotal to Biden's presidential campaign. Despite poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, the former vice president has continually voiced confidence that he would perform strongly in more diverse states. South Carolina is the first state to vote with a Democratic electorate made up of a majority of African Americans.

The latest NBC survey shows Biden performing best among that demographic with 35 percent support. Sanders trails him in second with 20 percent support among African Americans. Steyer is at 19 percent.

Recent surveys have offered a wide range of forecasts in South Carolina. A CBS-YouGov poll released on Sunday found that Biden's support had fallen by double digits and that his lead over Sanders was just 5 points. A survey from the left-leaning firm Publicly Policy Polling offered a starkly different result, showing Biden with a 15-point lead over the progressive senator.

ADVERTISEMENT

Asked about the CBS-YouGov survey on Sunday, Biden said that his declining support among African Americans stemmed from Steyer's ad blitz in the state. Steyer has reportedly spent $20 million on TV and radio ads in South Carolina in the run up to the primary on Saturday.

"I think a lot’s happening in terms of the amount of money being spent by billionaires to try to cut into the African American vote," Biden said.

The NBC News-Marist poll was conducted between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21 among a sample of 539 likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina.