Ted Cruz Wins RLC Straw Poll (Video)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) won the Republican Leadership Conference straw poll, Saturday, with neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson coming in a close second.

Chris Christie came in dead last with 1.1% of the vote. The other establishment favorite, Jeb Bush fared slightly better with 4.42% of the vote.

The conference was held in New Orleans, this weekend and attended by Republican Party activists, elected officials, and candidates for office.

The full results via the Right Scoop:

In the straw poll, 633 ballots were cast, which was attended by more than 1,500 people. The results were as follows:

1. Ted Cruz — 30.33 percent

2. Ben Carson — 29.38 percent

3. Rand Paul — 10.43 percent

4. Mike Huckabee — 5.06 percent

5. Rick Perry — 4.90 percent

6. Curt Clawson (write-in) 4.58 percent

7. Jeb Bush — 4.42 percent

8. Marco Rubio — 3.32 percent

9. Rick Santorum — 2.37 percent

10. Paul Ryan — 2.05 percent

11. Allen West (write-in) — 2.05 percent

12. Chris Christie — 1.11%

Via The Washington Post:

In total, 65 percent of ballots were cast for minority candidates — Cruz, Carson, Rubio and former congressman Allen West (R-Fla.), who spoke at the conference and took 2 percent of the vote as a write-in.

Here is Senator Cruz’s well received speech:

Correction: Title originally said SRLC instead of RLC. The event changed from Southern Republican Leadership Conference to Republican Leadership Conference in 2011.

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