Ted Cruz has opened up a firm lead over rival Donald Trump in first-in-the-nation state Iowa, 31 to 21, according to a new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register poll released Saturday.
The poll is closely watched by political analysts who consider it a reliable measure of Iowa caucus voters.
The poll is grim news for former Iowa front-runner Ben Carson, who drew just 13 percent support, less than half the 28 percent support he enjoyed in October.
Marco Rubio comes in fourth, 10 percent, followed by his former ally, Jeb Bush, at 6 percent.
The poll results show Trump failing to solidfy a firm lead in Iowa, unlike in other states. The real estate mogul claimed Friday that he is in position to win the caucus.
The results come the week after Trump’s controversial proposal to bar Muslim immigration into the United States, which Cruz has said he does not support while steering clear of condeming Trump.
A poll released earlier in the week with partial polling of respondents after the proposal was announced indicated no change in Trump’s robust lead in the state of South Carolina.
Cruz’s ascension represents the largest spike for one candidate between Des Moines Register polls in at least the last five presidential elections.
Though fifth overall, Jeb Bush records the highest negative ratings in the poll, with 54 percent of likely Caucus-goers disapproving of him.
