Thread: Iowa poll: Trump leads Cruz by 7

Iowa poll: Trump leads Cruz by 7

By POLITICO Staff

02/01/16 08:07 AM EST

Donald Trump leads his nearest rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, by 7 percentage points — 31 percent to 24 percent — heading into today's caucuses, the final Quinnipiac University poll of Iowa finds.

Trump's edge, powered as it is by a big lead among what Quinnipiac has identified as likely first-time caucus-goers, could be more tenuous than it looks. The race is still fluid: Although 3 percent said they were undecided, 28 percent of those who did name a candidate said they were open to changing their minds.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio trails both men with 17 percent, with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in fourth place at 8 percent. The other GOP candidates are all at or below 4 percent.

The poll shows Trump pulling away from Cruz and Rubio catching up — Quinnipiac's Jan. 26 survey had Trump at 31 percent, Cruz at 29 percent and Rubio at 13 percent.

The Quinnipiac Iowa poll was conducted on Jan. 25 - 31 and, for its GOP sample, surveyed 890 likely Republican caucus participants, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/0...leading-218518