Gov. Scott Walker Tops Iowa Poll After Freedom Summit Speech

A Des Moines Register poll shows Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at the top of the pack of potential 2016 GOP presidential nominees ahead of the Iowa caucuses, followed closely by Sen. Rand Paul.

Walker took 15 percent of the Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll of Republicans likely to attend the Iowa caucuses, scheduled for Feb. 1, 2016.

"He's in a sweet spot," pollster J. Ann Selzer commented. "People who don't want an ultra-conservative think he's OK. People who don't want a moderate think he's OK."

Walker's numbers come after last week's star turn at the Iowa Freedom Summit, when his rousing speech met with cheers from conservatives attending the event. However, Paul, of Kentucky, did not appear at the summit and still nabbed 14 percent of the Republicans polled.

Paul is likely drawing support from the same anti-establishment voters who favored his father, libertarian hero Ron Paul.

Others who topped the poll were Mitt Romney, who has since pulled his name from the race; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008; neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Romney dropped out the day after the polling wrapped, The Register reported, and when the poll numbers were shuffled by giving his votes to the contenders his supporters picked second behind him, the other top-tier potential candidates got some support.

The next group of potential candidates include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Rounding out the bottom of the pack were Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, followed by a three-way tie including real estate developer Donald Trump, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

The poll, which surveyed 402 potential caucus-goers, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Related stories:

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• Walker Tells Iowa Crowd of 'Go Big and Go Bold' Attitude