Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has a nine-point lead over businessman Donald Trump, his nearest Republican rival, in a new poll on the 2016 GOP field in Iowa.
Mr. Walker was the first choice of 22 percent of Iowa Republicans, followed by Mr. Trump at 13 percent in the Monmouth University poll released Monday.
“Walker has been a favorite of Iowa voters ever since his well-received appearance at the Iowa Freedom summit in January. More recently, Trump has outmaneuvered the rest of the field to earn the second spot despite his controversial statements over the weekend,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Many Republicans have hammered Mr. Trump for saying Saturday in Iowa that Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is a war hero “because he was captured; I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”
Mr. Trump says the remarks have been misrepresented and said that Mr. McCain is a war hero but he has failed on veterans’ issues.
According to the poll, Mr. Trump got 13 percent of the vote to Mr. Walker’s 19 percent Thursday and Friday — a slight difference from Saturday and Sunday, when Mr. Trump got 13 percent to Mr. Walker’s 25 percent.
Behind those two men were retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 8 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 7 percent apiece, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — who won Iowa in 2008 — at 6 percent, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 5 percent apiece, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 4 percent.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the 2012 Iowa caucus winner, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina were tied for tenth at 3 percent apiece.
Mr. Walker, Mr. Trump, and Mr. Cruz ran 1-2-3 among voters who aligned themselves with the tea party, voters who described themselves as “very conservative,” and voters who said they were evangelicals.
Mr. Murray also took note of Mr. Jindal’s position in the poll.
“It’s worth noting that Bobby Jindal enjoys more support in Iowa than he does nationally,” he said. “He is among the top 10 candidates in Iowa, but his showing in the national polls makes it unlikely he will gain entry to the first debate.”
The survey of 452 likely Republican caucus-goers was conducted July 16-19 and has a margin of error of plus/minus 4.6 percent.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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