A Monmouth University poll released Thursday has Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 15 points ahead of Donald Trump in the Texas Republican Presidential Primary, as the vote for the Super Tuesday state is just five days away.
In the Monmouth University poll, Cruz has the support of 38 percent of likely voters. He is trailed by Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), with 23 and 21 percent, respectively. They are trailed by Dr. Ben Carson (6%) and Gov. John Kasich (5%).
Cruz dominates among “very conservative” voters, obtaining 54% support from that group.
“Cruz looks to be well-positioned in Texas. The challenge for him is that a lot of other states are also on the slate for Super Tuesday,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a statement released with the poll.
Additionally, almost half of respondents who said they voted early (44%) cast a ballot for Cruz.
In a hypothetical three-way matchup against Trump and Rubio, Cruz beats them handily with 43% of the vote. He is trailed by Rubio (26%) and Trump (23%).
In a head-to-head matchup against Trump, Cruz would win 49%-28%, according to the survey.
When Republican voters were asked who they would definitely not support, Trump was the least favorite candidate, with 28 percent saying they would not be happy if Trump won the nomination.
The Monmouth University polling institute also surveyed Democratic Primary voters, finding that Hillary Clinton holds a 34 point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in Texas, winning over 64% of likely voters to Sanders’ 30%.
“Texas was good to Hillary Clinton eight years ago and she looks set to do even better this time around,” commented Murray.
The poll was conducted between February 22-24.