Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has eked out a two-point lead over former reality TV star Donald Trump in Iowa, according to a Monmouth College/KBUR poll released Thursday.
The poll showed support for Cruz among Iowa Republicans at 27 percent, closely followed by Trump at 25 percent.
The Monmouth College/KBUR poll, which was last conducted in late October, reflects the dramatic changes in the Iowa race over the fall and winter. In the last poll, Trump stood at 20 percent, lagging behind former neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 28 percent but ahead of Cruz at 15 percent. Now Carson, at 11 percent, has been eclipsed by the tight contest between Cruz and Trump for first place.
The survey is consistent with most recent Iowa polling, which has shown a close race between Cruz and Trump as the Texas senator, who lags far behind Trump in New Hampshire and nationwide polling, aims for a game-changing victory in the Hawkeye State.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who both have been Trump’s runners-up in various New Hampshire polls, are also shown to be at a substantial disadvantage in this poll. The survey found Rubio at nine percent support and Kasich at three percent.
The Monmouth College/KBUR poll surveyed 687 Republican voters by phone from Jan. 18-19. It had a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
This post has been updated.
