Poll: Kerry Holds Slight Lead Over Dean

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Presidential hopeful John Kerry held a slight lead over Howard Dean, and Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) has lost ground in a poll of likely voters in the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

The survey, released Friday, also found a significant jump in the number of undecided voters, from 19 percent in April to 30 percent in July, reflecting the wide-open race and absence of a clear front-runner.

Kerry had 25 percent support to Dean's 19 percent while the third New Englander in the race, Lieberman, was at 6 percent, a drop from 11 percent in June for the Connecticut senator. Rep. Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) of Missouri was third at 10 percent, according to the poll by American Research Group of Manchester, N.H.

Last month, Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, held a 10-point lead over Dean, the former Vermont governor.

At 2 percent were Sen. John Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina, Sen. Bob Graham (news, bio, voting record) of Florida and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who has not announced his candidacy.

Carol Moseley Braun, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news, bio, voting record) and Al Sharpton were at 1 percent, with Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, who has not decided yet on a presidential bid.

Kerry was viewed favorably by 66 percent of those polled; Dean at 57 percent. Of the 30 percent who are undecided, 45 percent have a favorable view of Kerry and 42 percent have a favorable view of Dean.

The telephone poll of 600 registered Democrats and undeclared voters conducted July 21-24 has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.




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