BOSTON (WHDH) - Following a reporting debacle in Iowa, the Democratic presidential candidates are pivoting to an unpredictable race in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary.

Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s got a big bounce in New Hampshire following his perceived victory in the Hawkeye State, according to our exclusive 7NEWS/EMERSON COLLEGE TRACKING POLL.

He saw a 5 point bump among prospective Democratic voters, bringing him up to 17 percent.

The former mayor is beginning to break away from the pack and establish himself as a strong second-place candidate.

However, Mayor Pete still sits behind a formidable front-runner.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is holding strong at number one, commanding 32 percent.

Our pollster, Spencer Kimball said Sanders has benefitted most from his consistency on the trail.

You might disagree with some of his policies but he doesn’t change them and his voters know that” Kimball explained. “I think that is what keeps him with a strong base.”

Biden, once considered to be the party darling, is polling in third place with 13 percent of those polled saying they would vote for him in the upcoming primary.

Kimball considers Biden to be the candidate in the most trouble — especially after the former V.P. hit his fellow Democratic candidates at an event in New Hampshire Wednesday,

“He’s in a tough place because if he goes too negative, and you start throwing mud at other candidates, you always have a little bit on yourself,” the pollster said. “He’s at the point where he could drop into single digits.”

The Massachusetts and Minnesota senators are tied for fourth-place with each raking in 11 percent.

Warren took a 2 point hit from last night’s tracking poll and Klobuchar went down just one point — both still well within the 4.3 percent margin of error.

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard are also competing neck-and-neck for fifth, with each pulling 6 percent. Yang went up 1 point and Gabbard went up 2.

Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer saw the biggest slump of the night, losing 3 percentage points in 24 hours dropping him from 5 percent to 2 percent.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is on the map in this newest tracking poll, jumping from zero to 1 percent among prospective Democratic primary voters

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet remains at zero.

Kimball said the candidates looking to gain or keep momentum must get out and meet the voters.

“Voters want to meet the candidates so the most important thing they can do is get here and start talking to voters, start shaking hands and telling them what they are going to do to make their lives better,” he said.

Stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest on the race for the White House.

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