FORMER US Secretary of State John Kerry has denied plans to enter the presidential race to “stop Bernie Sanders taking down the Democratic Party” ahead of today’s Iowa caucus.

Mr Kerry was overheard by an NBC journalist speaking on the phone on Sunday explaining that he would need to step down from the board of the Bank of America and “raise a couple of million” for his campaign.

He suggested that donors may be willing to stump up the cash as they “now have the reality of Bernie.”

The 2004 Democratic Party presidential nominee is a high-profile supporter of former vice-president Joe Biden. But the party establishment are increasingly concerned over the growing support for Mr Sanders.

Latest Emerson College polls showed Mr Sanders with a seven-point lead over Mr Biden in Iowa on the eve of yesterday’s first caucus.

He was on 28 per cent, with Mr Biden on 21 per cent.

Mr Biden has seen his campaign appearing to suffer due to the “Ukrainegate” scandal, in which he is accused of using a US loan as leverage to stop corruption investigations into his son Hunter by Ukrainian officials.

But Mr Kerry denied the allegations and tweeted that any report suggesting he intended to enter the presidential race was “fucking (or categorically) false.” He clarified his remarks on NBC late on Sunday.

“This is a complete and total misinterpretation based on overhearing only one side of a phone conversation. A friend who watches too much cable called me wondering whether I’d ever jump into the race late in the game if Democrats were choosing an unelectable nominee.

“I listed all the reasons I could not possibly do that and would not — and will not under any circumstances — do that,” he said.

The Iowa caucus was due to take place after the Star went to print.