2016 Presidential Race: Donald Trump, Ben Carson Lead in Latest CNN Poll, Carly Fiorina Falters
A new CNN/ORC poll suggests the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination has evolved into a two-man fight between political 'outsiders' Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
CNN reports the two men now stand as the only candidates registering double-digit support, with Trump at 27 percent and Carson at 22 percent. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are tied for third place at 8 percent, each.
Meanwhile, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and onetime surging candidate Carly Fiorina has seen her support shrink to just 4 percent, a dip of some 11-percentage points over the last month. Her fall from grace appears to be on all fronts, with only 8 percent of college graduates now responding they support her candidacy, down from a onetime high of 22 percent. In addition, Fiorina has seen her support among women dip by 11 percent, 18 percent among independents and 15 percent among conservatives.
The biggest benefactor of her decline has been the controversial Carson, who has gained 8 points over that same span and now rates with Trump as the first choice of roughly half of all GOP voters.
CNN adds that no other candidate has made significant strides since last month's poll. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul each stand at 5 percent, a point ahead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 4 percent.
Overall, the poll also found GOP voters are increasingly satisfied with their crowded field of choices, with 32 percent of all voters now insisting they are "very satisfied" with the group of candidates running for president, up from 23 percent earlier this summer. Also, 68 percent of all Republican voters now describe themselves as "extremely or very enthusiastic" about the 2016 run for the White House.
The CNN/ORC Poll was conducted by telephone from Oct. 14 to 17, among a random national sample of 1,028 adults.
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