WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden remains the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination, while Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has returned to the level of support that preceded her autumn surge, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows.

Biden gets the support of 28 percent of Democratic primary voters, statistically unchanged from his standing in the NBC/WSJ October poll, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders stands at 21 percent and Warren has 18 percent.

Warren’s 18 percent share is a 5-point drop from her level of support in October and a 7 point fall from her peak in September.

-snip-

Biden’s strength in the poll is largely due to his support among African Americans (50 percent support him, compared with 15 percent for Warren and 8 percent for Sanders), and Democrats over 50 (38 percent back him, compared with 14 percent for Warren and 7 percent for Sanders).

Republican pollster Bill McInturff, whose firm conducted the poll along with Democratic firm Hart Research Associates, says those groups form the backbone of Biden’s durability as a candidate.

“Joe Biden is sitting on a stable result, with a stable political base that has shown no inclination to vote for two of the other candidates [Sanders and Warren],” McInturff said, adding that both Sanders and Warren are also well-positioned to remain competitive as the race goes on.

-snip-