Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Democratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida Harris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle MORE leads his nearest presidential primary contender by 18 points, further solidifying his status as the crowded field’s front-runner, according to a poll released Tuesday.

A Morning Consult poll shows Biden with the support of 38 percent of Democratic primary voters, beating out Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersOutrage erupts over Breonna Taylor grand jury ruling Dimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death MORE (I-Vt.), his nearest competitor, who was supported by 20 percent of the respondents.

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Biden and Sanders are the only two candidates who had support in the double-digits. They are followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenDimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' CNN's Don Lemon: 'Blow up the entire system' remark taken out of context Democrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court MORE (D-Mass.) with 9 percent, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegThe 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 Hillicon Valley: FBI, DHS warn that foreign hackers will likely spread disinformation around election results | Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day | Trump to meet with Republican state officials on tech liability shield MORE (D) and Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Nearly 40 Democratic senators call for climate change questions in debates Joe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late MORE (D-Calif.) with 7 percent, and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) with 4 percent.

The former vice president’s support extends to 42 percent over the primary field when narrowing the survey to primary voters in early states, which Morning Consult said included Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada. Sanders remains at 20 percent among such voters.

Biden and Sanders have emerged as the crowded field’s top two candidates, setting up what could be a prolonged fight between the party’s centrist and progressive flanks. However, when asked who their second choice would be if their chosen nominee failed to win the nomination, Biden supporters chose Sanders and Sanders supporters chose Biden.

The two candidates also have the highest favorability ratings among all their opponents, with Biden garnering a 76 percent approval rating and Sanders getting a 74 percent approval rating.

Biden has enjoyed a surge of support since announcing his White House bid in April, topping every national poll since his launch, largely appearing to be at the expense of support for Sanders.

The Morning Consult poll surveyed 16,368 registered voters who indicate they may vote in their state’s Democratic primary or caucus from May 20 to 26 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. It also interviewed 626 voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada during that same time frame and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for that subset.