Chris Christie and Rand Paul may want to hit the panic button.
The New Jersey governor and Kentucky senator have fallen to the bottom half of the 17-person deep Republican presidential field, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey.
Christie garners 2 percent in the survey, while Paul is supported by 1 percent. In the same survey done in July, Christie had 3 percent and Paul had 4 percent.
Where the two fall in polls from mid-July onward will be important in deciding if they make the main stage of the second GOP debate on Sept. 16. While Paul is expected to be among the top 10 due to the averaging of polls, Christie has his hands full fending off former businesswoman Carly Fiorina, who missed the last debate’s cut.
Billionaire Donald Trump (29 percent) and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (15 percent) sit atop the crowded Republican field.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (9 percent) and Fiorina (8 percent) are polling behind Trump and Carson, followed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee closely behind.
The survey of roughly 580 usual Republican primary voters was conducted Aug. 28-30 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
