Donald Trump and Ben Carson are the leaders in a new poll that looks at both California and the nation. They are followed by Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, who have moved into a solid second tier,
according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.
The full results of the poll, looking at voter attitudes one year ahead of the 2016 election, as well as the race on the Democratic side, will be released on Sunday, the Times reported. The poll, conducted online by SurveyMonkey, surveyed 2,009 voters.
The California results:
- Donald Trump: 20 Percent
- Ben Carson: 19 Percent
- Marco Rubio: 14 Percent
- Ted Cruz: 11 Percent
- Jeb Bush: 4 Percent
The national results:
- Donald Trump: 25 Percent
- Ben Carson: 21 Percent
- Marco Rubio: 12 Percent
- Ted Cruz: 12 Percent
- Jeb Bush: 4 Percent
The Times singled out Rubio's performance in the poll
"One particular point of strength for Rubio -- he has gained support among college-educated Republicans and is now in first place among that group in California," their story notes.
"The Republican primary electorate in recent elections has been divided about evenly between voters with college educations and a blue-collar wing without college degrees. Trump has built a strong lead among the less-educated wing of the party, and Rubio's support among college graduates could provide him an important base as the primary season develops."