An internal Cruz presidential campaign memo released today shows the Texas GOP senator polling well nationally and in the key states of New Hampshire and South Carolina since he formally launched his candidacy March 23rd.
Chris Wilson, the campaign’s Director of Research and Analytics, wrote campaign director Jeff Roe: “The latest round of national and early state polls show Senator Cruz firmly in the top tier of candidates only three weeks after announcing his candidacy and with several more announced candidates in the race.”
Wilson cited a poll by Monmouth University that has Cruz tied with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker with 11 percent of the vote, behind former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush who tallied 13 percent of the vote. An ABC/Washington Post from early April also has Cruz and Walker in a virtual tie, with the Texas senator at 13 percent and Walker at 12 percent, behind Bush at 20 percent. And Wilson said a recent Fox News poll has Cruz “among a number of top-tier candidates in a statistical tie for first.”
In New Hampshire, Cruz has really moved up. “Since entering the race Senator Cruz has gained a full twelve points in support. He has gone from just two percent support in a March Suffolk University poll to 14 percent today in the PPP study.” Public Policy Polling has Cruz in second place at 14 percent behind Walker who is at 23 percent. PPP surveyed 358 Republican primary voters in New Hampshire from April 9-13.
In South Carolina, The Winthrop Poll by Winthrop University in Rock Hill, was released this week and found Cruz to be a contender in third place at 8.1 percent of those polled. Walker led the pack with 13.6 percent, followed by Bush at 12.7 percent. The poll surveyed 956 South Carolina likely presidential primary voters from April 4-12.