Poll: Jeb Bush leads GOP field in New Hampshire

Jeb Bush leads his GOP rivals for president in a new survey of likely New Hampshire primary voters, but the poll shows a wide-open Republican race and some challenges for the former Florida governor.

Bush has the support of 16% among likely GOP primary voters in the Granite State, according to the poll by Bloomberg Politics and Saint Anselm College. He's ahead of Rand Paul (13%), Scott Walker (12%) and Chris Christie (10%) -- the only likely candidates to garner double-digit support among likely New Hampshire GOP voters.

But the poll released Sunday shows voters have concerns about Bush's famous last name and his positions on Common Core educational standards and immigration. The New Hampshire primary is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2016.

Nearly 6 in 10 likely New Hampshire GOP voters say they believe Bush's strength as a candidate comes from his family's connection to politics — compared with 31% who believe it's because of his unique qualities and achievements from his two terms as Florida's governor.

Bush said last week that he faces an "interesting challenge" because he is the son and brother of presidents, but he vowed to make his own case to voters and not rely on his family's name in his all-but-announced White House campaign. "I know I'm going to have to do it on my own," he said at the Detroit Economic Club.

On issues of importance to GOP primary voters, 41% say Bush's support for allowing some undocumented workers to stay in the United States is a "deal killer" for them. Twenty percent say Bush's support for Common Core educational standards is a "deal killer."

The survey of 400 GOP primary voters was taken Jan. 31-Feb. 5. The poll by Purple Strategies has an error margin of +/- 4.9 percentage points.