Poll: Carson, Trump tied in Pennsylvania

Ben Carson and Donald Trump are tied among GOP voters in Pennsylvania, a new poll finds.

Carson and Trump each receive 18 percent support from registered Republicans in the Keystone State, according to the Mercyhurst University Center for Applied Politics poll on Monday.

{mosads}Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush trails them with 9 percent.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina next grabs 8 percent support among registered Pennsylvania Republicans.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are in a struggle for fifth place with 4 percent apiece.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), for his part, ties with three other White House hopefuls at 3 percent in his own state — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

An additional 2 percent back other Republican contenders next year, while 17 percent remain undecided and 1 percent refused an answer.

Mercyhurst’s poll also found that Carson is the best-liked GOP presidential candidate among Pennsylvania Republicans.

It found that 70 percent view the retired neurosurgeon favorably, while 13 percent see him unfavorably.

Trump, in contrast, scores a 57 percent favorability rating and a 40 percent unfavorability rating in Pennsylvania.

Rubio, meanwhile, trails Carson’s likeability with 62 percent favorability and 17 percent unfavorability.

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania lawmaker, gets a 54 percent favorability rating and a 39 percent unfavorability rating.

Monday’s survey also found that 57 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans crave a president from outside the political establishment next year.

Carson, Fiorina and Trump are touting their experience outside of the political world on the campaign trail.

Mercyhurst conducted its latest poll of 483 registered Pennsylvania Republicans from Sept. 21-Oct. 1. It has a 4.5 percent margin of error.

Trump is the GOP front-runner nationally, with 22.8 percent support to Carson’s 17.3 percent and Fiorina’s 11 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.