James R. Carroll

WASHINGTON - Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is bunched near the top of the potential 2016 Republican presidential field in a new McClatchy-Marist Poll.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has 15 percent support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationally, the survey found. Paul and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan each have 13 percent.

After them, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is at 12 percent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has 7 percent, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has 6 percent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal each have 4 percent.

The poll found former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker each with 3 percent support. And 21 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they were undecided.

"There continues to be no clear front-runner in the race for the 2016 Republican nomination," the poll reported.

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton prevails in theoretical matchups against the Republicans among registered voters: 53 to 42 percent over Bush, 52 to 43 percent over Paul, and 51 to 42 percent over Christie.

Clinton, former secretary of state under President Barack Obama, remains the clear choice of 64 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, according to the poll.

"Right now, the 2016 election is all about Hillary," Lee M. Miringoff, director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement. "Without a strong Democratic opponent for the nomination and a fragmented GOP field, she's the early front-runner."