NH Poll: Buttigieg in Third Behind Biden, Sanders

Surprise presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is gaining ground on political heavyweights Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, at least in New Hampshire, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The 37-year-old longtime South Bend, Indiana, mayor has the support of 10.7 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, compared with 23 percent for former Vice President Biden and 15.6 percent for Sen. Sanders, I-Vt.

"Right now, it looks like the battle in New Hampshire is all about two familiar faces," said Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

"This is very surprising," Levesque said of Buttigieg in third. "He's now in third place in New Hampshire, and he came from relative obscurity. And he's gone up an astounding 33 percent with his favorability, so Pete Buttigieg is somebody to watch."

Sanders is running for a second consecutive time, while Biden has yet to announce a bid for the 2020 race, though he is leaning toward running.

Buttigieg has only announced an exploratory committee, a step short of an actual presidential campaign.

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