Gallup: Huckabee, Bush Top 'Well Known, Well-Rated'

Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush are the best-known and net the highest favorable ratings among Republicans in the crowded field of possible GOP presidential candidates, a new poll shows.

But Florida Sen. Marco Rubio comes in with a surprisingly high net favorable rating among the 11 contenders, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — one of the most familiar Republican figures among the party base — is in the cellar, the Gallup survey indicates.

According to the poll, the former Florida governor is the best known of the field, with 76 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents knowing enough about Bush to have an opinion.

Arkansas' former governor has a 72 percent familiarity rating, though Huckabee enjoys a higher net favorable rating, at 40 points, compared with Bush's 36 points, the survey showed.

Meanwhile, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul scored an above-average familiarity score at 64 percent, and his net favorable rating came in at 34 points, the poll finds.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry also has above-average familiarity among Republicans, at 66 percent, but his net favorable score is right at average, at 30 points, the survey showed.

Four other Republicans with an above-average net favorable score, but with a below-average rating in familiarity, include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Rubio; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; and physician Ben Carson.

Rubio is the most positively evaluated of those four, the survey shows, scoring the second-highest net favorable score of any Republican tested, at 39 points.

Christie has the lowest net favorable score, at 9.

The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

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