Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are running neck-and-neck in Iowa with less than 50 days to go until votes are cast in the first-in-the-nation caucus, according to a new poll.
In the latest Quinnipiac poll, Cruz and Trump receive 28 percent and 27 percent support, respectively. It’s the latest in a string of polls that show the two of them competing for the top position in Iowa.
Marco Rubio sits third with 14 percent, while Ben Carson is the only other candidate in double digits with 10 percent. In three weeks, Carson saw his support nearly cut in half after pulling in 18 percent in the Quinnipiac poll released on Nov. 24.
No other candidate garners more than 5 percent backing.
Cruz, who has recently surged to the Iowa lead alongside Trump, is up five points from 23 percent in the most recent poll.
While Trump still has a lot of support, he also has the highest percentage of Republicans who say they would never vote for him. Thirty percent of those polled say they would never support Trump come Feb. 1, with only former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (23 percent) cracking the 20 percent mark. By contrast, only 7 percent say the same about Cruz and 8 percent Rubio.
The two senators also enjoy high favorability ratings, with Cruz at 72/18 favorablility and Rubio at 71/18. The only candidate who is viewed more positively amongst Iowans is Carson, who sits at 74/20.
