Republican Senator Ted Cruz has entered what The Hill calls the “top tier” of Republicans considering a run for the White House in 2016. And, based on a new survey from the Democrat-aligned Public Policy Polling group, Cruz’s gain is coming mostly at the expense of Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson.
Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) early entrance into the presidential field has given him a significant polling bump and vaulted him into the top tier of GOP contenders, according to a new poll.
According to the survey, Cruz’s support among those who identify as “very conservative” shot up from 11 percent last month to 33 percent this month. Over that same time period, Carson’s support dropped from 18 percent to 10 percent, while Huckabee’s support fell from 10 percent to 6 percent.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker still leads with 20 percent, and Jeb Bush is right behind at 17. Then comes Cruz at 16 percent. Cruz’s fellow GOP Senator Rand Paul saw something of a rise as well, and Rubio, another senator, is well-liked across the party. With Rubio expected to launch a bid, soon, that could flip the numbers yet again as several Republicans continue to jockey for position early:
Paul was another fast-riser, jumping from 4 percent support last month to 10 percent this month. He’s expected to announce his candidacy for the White House on April 7 in Lexington, Ky.
And Rubio has the highest favorability rating of any of the GOP presidential hopefuls, with 55 percent saying they have a positive view of the Florida Republican. Rubio is expected to launch his bid for the White House on April 13 in Miami.
The complete survey is here.