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 leads his closest challenger in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, 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-Vt.), by 9 points, according to a new national poll.

The former vice president garnered 23 percent support in the Suffolk University–USA Today poll, while Sanders attracted 14 percent and 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.) got 13 percent.

No other candidate was in double digits.

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Biden's sizable lead can be attributed, in part, to his popularity with black voters, pollsters noted. Forty-two percent of black voters named Biden as their first choice. Sanders was the only other candidate in the race to attract double-digit support among African Americans, with 11 percent.

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 voters nationwide, was conducted Dec. 10–14. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.

The results come ahead of the next Democratic presidential debate, which is scheduled for Thursday in Los Angeles.