Clinton, Obama, Edwards tied in Iowa poll: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The three top Democratic presidential candidates are virtually tied in a new poll in Iowa, where voters will kick off the presidential nominating process in six months, The Washington Post reported in its Friday edition.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was the first choice for 27 percent of respondents in the Washington Post-ABC News poll, followed closely by New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards at 26 percent each.

The statewide poll of 500 likely voters differed dramatically from most nationwide polls, which give Clinton as much as a 2-to-1 lead over Obama, her closest rival. Edwards generally registers a distant third in national polls.

Though Clinton is seen by Iowa voters as the strongest leader and most electable candidate, her rivals get higher marks for likeability, the Post reported.

Other Democratic presidential candidates trailed far behind the top three. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson registered 11 percent, Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich registered 2 percent each, and Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd had 1 percent. Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel did not get any support.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.