Scott Walker leads new Iowa GOP poll

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker continues to lead the Republican presidential field in Iowa, according to a survey of likely caucus-goers released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University.

Walker is the top choice of 18% of poll respondents. Six other candidates are battling for second place, including businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 10%, Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz at 9% and former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio at 8%.

Several more candidates register at 5% or less.

“Those who thought the Republican race in the Iowa caucuses might begin to clarify itself better think again,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Peter A. Brown said in a statement. “As even more candidates toss their hats into the ring, the race has gotten even more muddled.”

While Walker maintains a lead over the growing field, it is shrinking from earlier polls. He was the top choice of 21% of respondents in May and 25% in February.

The poll also tested favorability ratings and other perceptions of the candidates. Walker again scored high, with 66% of respondents claiming a favorable view of him, against 8% with an unfavorable view.

Carson, Cruz, Rubio and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also enjoyed strong favorability rankings, while Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who formally announced his candidacy Tuesday — were underwater.

On a question of who survey respondents definitely would not support, Trump and Bush topped the list, with 28% saying they couldn’t support Trump and 24% saying they couldn’t back Bush.

The Quinnipiac University Poll surveyed 666 likely Iowa Republican caucuses participants between June 20 and 29. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

For more on this story, see The Des Moines Register.