Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersTrump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Sanders tells Maher 'there will be a number of plans' to remove Trump if he loses Sirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters MORE (I) are leading the Democratic primary field in a new NPR-PBSNewsHour-Marist poll, the latest indication that the progressive senator from Vermont is seeing a surge in support ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Twenty-four percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents said they supported Biden, while Sanders was close behind at 22 percent.

Together the two candidates amassed nearly half of the support from Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents.

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Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) garnered 17 percent support, followed by South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE (D), who came in at 13 percent support.

Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang Andrew YangBiden's latest small business outreach is just ... awful Doctor who allegedly assaulted Evelyn Yang arrested on federal charges The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden weighs in on police shootings | Who's moderating the debates | Trump trails in post-convention polls MORE rounded out the top five candidates in the poll with 5 percent support.

The poll's margin of error among the voter groups is plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.

The same survey showed Sanders leading Biden with voters of color, a voting bloc that Biden has carried throughout the 2020 primary campaign.

Twenty-nine percent of nonwhite voters said they supported Sanders, while 26 percent threw their support behind the former vice president.

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The survey is the latest sign of Sanders solidifying his second place position in the crowded primary, posing a clear threat to longtime front-runner Biden.

A Change Research-Post and Courier poll out of South Carolina on Friday showed Biden at 27 percent support among South Carolina voters with Sanders close on his heels at 20 percent, marking the first time in this primary Biden has not held a double-digit lead in the state.

The polls come less than two months away from the first Democratic nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, which will provide successful candidates with momentum going into Nevada, South Carolina, and the Super Tuesday states.

Seven of the candidates, including Biden and Sanders, are set to face off in Los Angeles on Thursday for the final primary debate of the year.

The NPR-PBSNewsHour-Marist poll was conducted Dec. 9–11 among 1,744 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Seven hundred and four Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents were polled during the same period with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.