GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump jumped to second among Republican candidates in New Hampshire, according to a new Suffolk University poll.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is in first place.
Both Bush and Trump announced their candidacies for the White House last week.
“Bush was supported by 14%, Trump by 11% in the survey of 500 likely GOP primary voters taken Thursday through Monday,” USA Today reports. “They were followed by a dozen other contenders, almost all of them with more electoral and governmental experience than Trump, scoring single digits.”
The poll had a plus or minus margin of error of 4.4 percent.
According to USA Today, the poll asked which ten candidates should be on the primary debate stage in August. Trump finished 11th.
“It’s the politics of plurality,” explained the Director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center David Paleologos. “Those who like him are voting for him, and although many more dislike him, the unfavorables are split up among many other candidates so it’s not hurting him.”
Trump has been heavily critical of Bush on issues such as Common Core, immigration and President Obama’s trade negotiations – mainly granting Obama fast track trade authority to finalize his trade deals without amendments from Congress.
According to USA Today, Bush’s stance on immigration could hurt him.
“In the poll, more than eight in 10 disagreed with the view that illegal immigration is ‘an act of love,’ words Bush has used. More than six in 10 disagreed strongly,” USA Today noted.
Trump came out tough on immigration during his formal announcement speech, vowing to build a wall on the southern border to stop the overflow of illegal immigration and make MMexico pay for the wall.
USA Today’s report comes on the same day as New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) voted to advance Trade Promotion Authority – giving Obama fast track trade authority – something Trump has advised against.
In the New Hampshire Senate race, Ayottee is only 1.4 points ahead of potential Democrat challenger Maggie Hassan.
According to the poll results, the top four in the presidential poll were Bush, Trump, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Dr. Ben Carson held fifth place and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) held sixth place. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina tied at seventh place.
Both former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in at bottom, with only about two percent.
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