A Quinnipiac poll released Friday shows that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump still holds a national lead over his GOP rivals. Trump earns 31% support, a +9 point lead over second place Ted Cruz (22%). Pulling into third is Marco Rubio with 19%. Everyone else is at 6% and below. There is little love for the governors — Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie — who are all tied up at 3%.
In this particular poll, since the middle of December, Trump has picked up +3 points. Cruz has lost -2 points. Rubio has surged +7. Ben Carson lost -4, dropping from 10% to just 6%. Christie lost half his support, dropping -3 points, from 6% to just 3%.
The good news for Trump is that he went from being just +4 points ahead of second place Cruz in December to now being +9 points up.
In the Real Clear Politics poll of polls, Trump leads his GOP rivals by +12.5%.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC