Hillary Clinton holds a 20-point lead over her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination but is running level with Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani, according to an NBC News/ Wall Street Journalpoll.
Among Democrats, Ms Clinton leads with 47 per cent, followed by Barack Obama at 25 per cent and former vice presidential candidate John Edwards with 11 per cent, NBC reported.
Ms Clinton's 22-point advantage over Mr Obama in the poll is almost unchanged since the summer.
According to the poll, Ms Clinton leads Mr Giuliani by just one point - 46 per cent to 45 per cent - a statistical tie. In September, she was seven points ahead of Mr Giuliani, who enjoys a significant lead over his rivals for the Republican nomination.
In the survey, 76 per cent of Democrats surveyed give Ms Clinton high marks for being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency, compared with 41 per cent who say the same about Obama.
When asked who was more likable, 72 per cent said Mr Obama versus 49 per cent for Clinton. A majority, 65 per cent, also viewed the Illinois senator as more honest and straightforward versus 53 per cent for Ms Clinton.