A new poll from
Rasmussen Reports has found Mitt Romney atop a growing field of GOP contenders.
The telephone survey of likely Republican voters found Romney, with his high name recognition, leading a slate of nine possible candidates with 24 percent support, Rasmussen said.
The poll asked respondents who they would pick if the GOP presidential primary were held right now — far in advance of its actual date.
Coming in behind the 2012 GOP presidential nominee were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 13 percent, conservative columnist and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 12 percent and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 11 percent.
Both Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie earned 7 percent support while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gained 5 percent along with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Four percent chose other candidates and 12 percent said they were undecided, Rasmussen said.
Republicans are working to coalesce behind a strong candidate who might take on Hillary Clinton, the likely 2016 Democratic nominee.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll, however, found Clinton beating all top GOP contenders in a head-to-head contest, creating concern for Republicans as more candidates ponder a White House bid,
CNN reported.
Little emerged publicly from a meeting between Romney and Bush, who had a cordial talk over lunch Thursday in Salt Lake City, to discuss their competing ambitions,
The New York Times reported.
A
previous Rasmussen poll noted that voters want a fresh face, and not the usual suspects, as they choose a GOP presidential hopeful. Just 10 percent said they should choose a candidate who has run in the past.