(Published September 30‚ 2003)

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Edwards has grabbed the lead in South Carolina, according to a poll released Tuesday that shows the North Carolina senator as the only Democratic presidential candidate in double digits.

More than four in 10 of those questioned, 42 percent, remain undecided in the survey of South Carolina voters conducted by the American Research Group of Manchester, N.H., Edwards was at 16 percent in the poll.

Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Edwards were essentially tied in an August poll by the same firm, with Lieberman at 14 percent and Edwards at 10 percent. Edwards is counting on a strong performance in South Carolina, which is not only a neighboring state but also his native state. Edwards was born in Seneca, S.C.; his family moved to North Carolina when he was a child.

Other recent state polls have shown several candidates together at the top and a large number of undecided voters.

Lieberman, who led in South Carolina earlier this year, was at 7 percent with Wesley Clark, who recently entered the race. Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, was at 6 percent, and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Al Sharpton were at 5 percent.

Carol Moseley Braun was at 4 percent, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida was at 2 percent and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio was at 1 percent.

The poll of 600 voters who say they're likely to vote in the Democratic primary was conducted Sept. 25-29 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

South Carolina holds its first-in-the South Democratic primary on Feb. 3.