MERRIMACK, N.H. (WHDH) - Speaking in front of a packed American Legion hall on Thursday, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg shared his military experience with a group of voters and veterans.

Buttigieg, who holds a slight lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders after Monday’s Iowa Caucus, is gaining momentum among voters in the Granite State, according to an exclusive 7News/Emerson College tracking poll.

Sanders is in the lead at 31 percent, but is down a point since Wednesday, while the mayor has gained 4 points since then, up to 21 percent.

Buttigieg spoke of his deployment to Afghanistan while he was a mayor, and took 20 minutes of questions after he spoke on Thursday.

He said while overseas he learned a lot about the country and himself.

“And the people getting in the vehicle with me could not care less if I was a Democrat or a Republican, could not care less if I was going home to a girlfriend or boyfriend, could not care less what country my father immigrated from and whether he was documented when he did. They wanted to know that I was prepared to do my job, to keep them safe and vice versa,” Buttigieg said Thursday.

He’s also spoke about his plans for veterans, health care, and immigration.

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