Cruz takes top spot in GOP straw poll Cruz smashes to big victory in straw poll as Paul, Perry, Bush fill out bottom of ballot

Delegates, politicians and conventioneers migrated to Fort Worth for the annual Republican Party of Texas state convention. These are the top quotes from the event, from the high-profile figures to the rank-and-file attendees. less Delegates, politicians and conventioneers migrated to Fort Worth for the annual Republican Party of Texas state convention. These are the top quotes from the event, from the high-profile figures to the ... more Photo: Paul Moseley, Associated Press Photo: Paul Moseley, Associated Press Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Cruz takes top spot in GOP straw poll 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

FORT WORTH - Tea party icon Ted Cruz vanquished all comers Saturday in the Texas GOP presidential straw poll, claiming Texas-size bragging rights in the early jockeying for a post position in the race for the 2016 Republican nomination.

He finished with 43.4 percent of the delegate vote, far ahead of second-place finisher Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and black conservative political commentator. Carson got 12.2 percent of the vote.

Gov. Rick Perry finished fourth, with 11.7 percent, behind Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Texas native and libertarian favorite, who finished third at 12.1.

Also on the ballot was former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a scion of the Bush family political dynasty who is seen by many analysts as the choice of national party establishment. He finished fifth, with 3.3 percent of the vote.

While no big name contender has openly declared as a candidate, Cruz and Paul have been among the most active Republicans crisscrossing the nation and courting supporters in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

For Cruz, the Texas GOP straw poll victory was hardly a surprise. He was easily the convention's most fiery and popular orator. He is arguably the most popular Republican in Texas, where his long-shot Senate victory in 2012 confirmed the ascendancy of the GOP's tea party faction.

The win comes on top of Cruz's first-place finish in last week's presidential straw poll at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Carson gained some national prominence with a second-place finish at the Louisiana conference. Rand was third.

Carson, who did not speak at the Texas GOP convention in Fort Worth.

Cruz also won the Values Voter summit presidential straw poll last fall, while Paul topped the straw poll in this year's Conservative Political Action Conference.

Paul had minimized expectations at the convention in Fort Worth, which attracted nearly 11,000 of the party faithful. "I think it's unlikely that I could win a straw poll against two Texans," Paul said after his convention speech on Friday.

Other names on the traw poll ballot were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Iowa Congressman Steve King, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.