Texas Senator Ted Cruz continues to gain support in Iowa, leading Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for first place, according to a new poll of the state released today by Monmouth University.
Trump is now in second place with 19 percent.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio rose to third place with 17 percent. Rubio’s support has increased seven points since October, and his favorability numbers have jumped to 70 percent.
Where has Cruz’s surge of support come from? The poll shows that Cruz now leads among Tea Party supporters and evangelical voters –picking up some of Carson’s support.
Carson’s support has fallen precipitously, down 19 points in the state in the past two months. His favorability numbers have also fallen –down to 67 percent from a high of 84 percent in October.
Here is how it currently stacks up:
Ted Cruz 24
Donald Trump 19
Marco Rubio 17
Ben Carson 13
Jeb Bush 6
Rand Paul 4
Carly Fiorina 3
John Kasich 3
Chris Christie 2
Mike Huckabee 2
Rick Santorum 1