Poll: Walker leads in Iowa, followed by Trump

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is still out in front of all Republican contenders in a new Monmouth University poll out Monday surveying likely Iowa GOP caucus-goers.

But in second place is Donald Trump, whose remarks on Arizona Sen. John McCain’s military service do not appear to have had a material effect on his standing in the Hawkeye State, or at least not yet. In fact, a plurality of those surveyed (47 percent) said they have a favorable view of the multibillionaire candidate, while 35 percent said they do not.


Walker grabbed 22 percent, compared to Trump’s 13 percent. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson received 8 percent, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with 7 percent each. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 caucus, follows with 6 percent, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 5 percent, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 4 percent.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who won the 2012 caucuses, grabbed 3 percent, as did former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and retired Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina.

It should be noted that polling for this survey began last Thursday, two days before Trump’s statement that McCain “was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Trump stood by and intensified his remarks against the senator over the weekend and on Monday.

The poll was conducted July 16-19 via landlines and cellphones, surveying 452 likely Republican caucus-goers. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.