Poll: Jeb Bush leads GOP pack in New Hampshire

Jeb Bush leads the pack among Republican presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire, according to the latest WMUR Granite State Poll.

The former Florida governor nabbed 15 percent among likely Republican primary voters, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio close behind with 12 percent. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker follows with 11 percent, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul attracted 10 percent. Others in the mix include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (6 percent); Donald Trump (5 percent); and Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Rick Perry (4 percent each).


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has pinned his presidential hopes on New Hampshire, picked up just 3 percent.

The numbers follow a Quinnipiac University poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers, in which Walker finished first and Bush in seventh place.

By a narrow margin, jobs and the economy remain the most pressing issue for all New Hampshirites surveyed in both parties. While 27 percent see the economy as most important, 25 percent responded that they do not know or gave another response than the ones listed, and 22 percent said foreign policy and national security will matter most.

The poll surveyed 706 New Hampshire adults between April 24 and May 3, carrying an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The sample included 293 likely Republican primary voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points and 229 likely Democratic primary voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points.