Democratic race neck-and-neck

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in a too-close-to-call race for the Democratic presidential nomination, a poll released Sunday indicated.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll indicates 47 percent of likely Democratic voters planned to support Clinton, D-N.Y., and 43 percent of respondents said they would vote for Obama, D-Ill., ABC News reported.

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain has emerged as the Republican front-runner just days before the Super Tuesday nominating contests, when 24 states conduct their primaries.

McCain leads his closes rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 48 percent to 24 percent among likely GOP voters, the poll indicates.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 16 percent, and trailing was Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 7 percent support among likely Republican voters.

The telephone poll of 1,249 adults was taken Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. The sample of Democrats has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, and the margin of error is 5 points among Republicans.