The Democratic presidential race in the key early primary state of New Hampshire has tightened with Senator Barack Obama gaining ground on front-runner Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a new opinion poll released yesterday.
On the Republican side, support for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has grown slightly since the last poll of New Hampshire voters last month, according to the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
Among Democrats, Clinton, the New York senator, led with 36 percent, followed by Illinois senator Obama with 25 percent.
Former North Carolina senator John Edwards had 14 percent while New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson trailed the front-runners with 6 percent.
Romney led all Republicans with 33 percent, followed by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani with 22 percent and Arizona Senator John McCain with 13 percent.
US Representative Ron Paul and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee each had 7 percent, with former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson at 5 percent.
In last month's poll, Clinton led Obama by 40 percent to 20 percent, while Romney had 25 percent to Giuliani's 21 percent.
The New Hampshire primary in early January is one of the first key tests in the presidential nominating process, serving to winnow the field.
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