Huckabee narrowly tops 3-straight 2016 Iowa GOP polls
(CNN) - What do the three most recent public opinion polls of Iowa's 2016 Republican presidential caucus have in common?
All three surveys indicate there's no frontrunner in the very early hunt for the GOP presidential nomination in the state that votes first in the race for the White House. And former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee narrowly tops the list of potential candidates in each poll.
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The latest of the surveys comes from Loras College. According to their poll of 600 likely Republican voters in the Hawkeye State, 14.7% say if the 2016 GOP caucus was held today, Huckabee would be their first choice. The former Arkansas governor, a favorite of many social conservatives, won the state's 2008 Republican caucuses, which launched him towards victories in a bunch of other contests before bowing out to eventual nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona. The Fox News Channel host sat out the 2012 campaign, but is now mulling another bid.
The poll indicates former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 10.7%, followed by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 8.5%, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, at 8.3%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 8%, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 6.2%, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (a 2012 GOP presidential candidate), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker each at 4.7%, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (also a 2012 White House hopeful) at 3%. Everyone else tested in the survey, which was released Tuesday, was in the low single digits.
A Suffolk University poll of Iowa Republicans released last week also indicated a massive traffic jam among the potential GOP presidential contenders, with Hucakbee at 11%, followed by Paul and Bush each at 10%. Everyone else was in single digits.
Huckabee also narrowly topped a crowded field of possible candidates in a Republican-leaning WPA Opinion Research survey conducted at the end of March.
The results of the polls "show a wide-open race for Republicans in Iowa, with an opportunity for any number of candidates to catapult out of here on caucus night. For a candidate to do well here, they need to come to the state often, get to know Iowans and answer their questions, and work to turn out voters on a cold caucus night," said Iowa Republican strategist Tim Albrecht, who served as a top adviser to Gov. Terry Branstad.
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this story
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If he`s ahead in Iowa, he`ll never win in the general election. I for 1 have tired of the falacy that Iowa represents the "real America". They are often wrong as an indicator of who really matters in the final contest. Iowa is a "tool" used by the conservatives to pull candidates to the right on their positions early in the contest.
Actually it would be fun if he ran. We will have lots of Uncle Surgar jokes to humor the country for a while...
Huckabee's wife doesn't want him to run, and he's not corrupt enough.
Huckabee leads a pathetic list of candidates. Republicans will continue to lose presidential elections if they think moderate, independent, women, union, and minority votes are not important.
Huckleberry Hound will never be President... Waiting for Mittens Romney to throw his hat back in the ring.
So Huckabee is the republicans choice? Hahahahahahahaha
Oh yes, please do nominate him
Tampa Tim you are right on about that rancher. It is our land too and when he over grazes it and tramples the river banks and pollutes the water we the tax payers pay to have it fixed. Huckster is just that. Christian values at work. Vote Vote Vote or we will be stuck with these jokers
This colossal dunce doesn't believe in Evolution or Climate Change-what a great choice to lead America into the 21st century, hah? The Asians, Russians and Europe must be laughing their heads off.
Just another CINO.
Seriously? Only a very few Iowans were involved in this. The general public can rest easy knowing most Iowans are smarter than to vote for Huckabee.
Michelle Bachmann did the same thing in Iowa. Can't wait to see Sheldon Adelson,Rupert Mourdoch,Rove,Grover Norquist and the GOP stuff Jeb Bush down their throats.