Right now, the 2016 race is the Donald Trump and Ben Carson show, and everyone else is just playing a supporting role.
According to a new Mercyhurst poll released Monday, Trump and Carson lead among Pennsylvania voters, with the pair tied at 18 percent each and no other candidate in the field cracking double digits.
Following up the outsider pair are Carly Fiorina and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who sit at 9 and 8 percent, respectively. Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie each pull in 4 percent support.
Carson also posts the strongest favorable numbers of anyone in the field, with 70 percent of those polled viewing the former neurosurgeon favorably. Only 13 percent view him unfavorably. In addition, Rubio and Fiorina are both looked at favorably among Pennsylvania Republicans, with 62 and 58 percent of voters, respectively, viewing them favorably, and only 17 percent viewing each of them unfavorably.
Meanwhile, Trump posts the second highest unfavorable rating of anyone in the race at 40 percent. Only Sen. Rand Paul, who garners just 3 percent backing, has a higher unfavorable rating with 45 percent.
Also of note, former Sen. Rick Santorum pulls in only 3 percent support in the Keystone State, which he represented in the Senate for 12 years. The 2012 Iowa caucus winner pulled out of the 2012 race just before the Pennsylvania primary.
This is the first poll by Mercyhurst in the 2016 cycle, as Pennsylvania’s primary will not take place until April 26, nearly three months after the Iowa caucus.
