As 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls swarm early primary and caucus states, polls suggest at least four candidates have a real shot to claim the race's first two prizes.
Nominating contests start in Iowa on Feb. 3. New Hampshire votes about a week later, followed by Nevada and South Carolina in late February.
Iowa and New Hampshire, at least, appear unpredictable with just under a month to go. Polling averages in both states show Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., with an edge but in a virtual tie with former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, according to RealClearPolitics. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sits not far behind the leaders in both contests.
Biden has held a lead throughout the primary in national surveys. Both he and Sanders have solidified their standing in the last month, seizing a clear first and second spot in U.S. polls. The former vice president also has a significant edge in polls of Nevada and a massive lead in surveys of South Carolina, according to averages.
The candidates will scrap for position in Iowa during next week's CNN/Des Moines Register primary debate in Des Moines. Only five candidates have qualified: Biden, Sanders, Buttigieg, Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
The race could change in the coming weeks. Victories in Iowa or New Hampshire, and the media and donor attention that come with them, can propel candidates to success in the contests that follow.
The charts below show the top five candidates in polling averages nationwide and in the first four nominating states, as tracked by RealClearPolitics.