No clear frontrunner has yet emerged among potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates, but Hillary Clinton still leads possible Democratic contenders, according to a new national poll.
The CNN/ORC International survey of 1,022 adults released Monday found that 17 percent of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP are likely to support New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, followed close behind Christie at 16 percent.
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Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, meanwhile, registered 13 percent support among Republican and independents, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush drew 10 percent. Other possible GOP candidates included Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with 9 percent support, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with 7 percent, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at 5 percent.
Although Christie may be leading the pack overall at the moment, the survey found that he is not the first choice among conservatives; only 8 percent of Republican respondents who identified themselves as conservatives said they would likely vote for Christie, compared to 28 percent of those who described themselves as moderates.
On the Democratic side, 65 percent of Democrats and independents who lean toward the party said they would likely support Clinton, while just 10 percent said they would back Vice President Joe Biden. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew 7 percent support, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pulled 6 percent support.