In a poll conducted by TargetPoint Consulting, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has an early lead in the crowded 2016 South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary field. Currently Huckabee leads with 15% of GOP Republican primary voters and is followed by Governor Jeb Bush (13%), Senator Rand Paul (12%), and Governor Chris Christie (10%).
“While 2016 presidential primary polls this far out are poor predictors of actual electoral performance, polls like this one in South Carolina have outsize influence in the quest for endorsements, money and key staff,” said Alex Lundry, Senior Vice President and Chief Data Scientist of TargetPoint Consulting. “Our poll of the First in the South primary electorate points to a top tier of Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Chris Christie, who each break into double digit support. So while we have a long way until Election Day, this poll is a clear indicator of those personalities with the most potential to have outsize influence on the next GOP presidential nominee.”
The poll of 600 self-identified GOP Primary voters was commissioned by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and conducted from May 16-22, 2014. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 2.8%.