The growing grassroots movement behind neurosurgeon and Obamacare critic Dr. Ben Carson’s budding 2016 presidential bid has won the recognition of “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, who said Thursday that the race among conservative activists is between Carson and Sen. Rand Paul.

In a New Year’s interview on " Today," Todd said what many conservatives in early primary and caucus states have been claiming for months: Carson is a top-tier dark horse.

“He has got this huge following in the conservative wing of the party and he has already popped big in some of these polls,” said Todd, after noting that Paul is in the “pole position” in what is expected to be a big group of GOP candidates.

Carson associates, meanwhile, said that they are already setting up offices in key states to help build momentum. The National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, for example, has just opened a 1,680-square-foot Carson for President Victory Center in Johnston, Iowa.

The group is similar to the Ready for Hillary committee, and in fact has outraised them, proving the popularity of Carson.

“Iowa has been a focus of the Draft Committee since day one,” said John Philip Sousa IV, national chairman for the Draft Committee. “Heading into the caucuses, the Victory Center will be an important resource for organizing support for Dr. Carson,” he said. Iowa hosts the first presidential caucus in 2016.

The committee also has an office in New Hampshire, home to the first primary in 2016.

Todd said on "Today" that there “is a big disconnect” between the GOP donor establishment, that favors Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the grassroots.

“The establishment, aka the donors, they want one of those three. The grassroots are not interested any of those three. They are very unpopular with the people that actually vote in primaries, the people who vote in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” he said.

And, he added, the establishment is worried that conservatives will take over the primary and caucus process. “They are afraid of what the grassroots might select, whether it’s a Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, et cetera,” he said.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.