Washington, D.C. ? Less than six months before Iowa voters open the 2008 presidential nomination battles, the Democratic contest in the Hawkeye State is a deadlock, with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in a virtual tie for first place, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

While Clinton has a clear and consistent lead over Obama in national polls, with Edwards generally running a distant third, the contours of the campaign in Iowa appear far different. Edwards’ strong base of support, built on the foundations of his second-place finish in the state’s precinct caucuses in 2004, has turned Iowa into the most competitive early state for the Democratic field.