Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush leads a new national poll on the potential 2016 Republican presidential field, as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee dropped 6 points from a month ago and out of the lead.
Mr. Bush was first at 16 percent, followed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 13 percent and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 12 percent, according to results from a CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday.
Mr. Huckabee, who had topped a February poll at 16 percent, fell to fourth in the new poll at 10 percent.
Next was retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 9 percent, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 7 percent apiece. No other potential GOP candidate in the survey cracked 5 percent.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was the overwhelming choice of Democrats, taking 62 percent. Vice President Joseph R. Biden was next at 15 percent.
And despite the recent controversy over her use of a private email system as secretary of state, Mrs. Clinton held double-digit leads in hypothetical match-ups with Mr. Bush, Mr. Christie, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Paul, Mr. Carson and Mr. Walker.
Mr. Paul was the closest, but still trailed by 11 points, 54 percent to 43 percent.
The full survey of 1,009 American adults was taken March 13-15 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The subsample of 450 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, as did the subsample of 466 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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