Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker leads a crowded field of Republican presidential contenders in the early voting state of Iowa, according to a new Monmouth University poll of likely caucusgoers.
Walker takes 22 percent in the poll released Monday, a double digit lead against all other GOP candidates with the exception of businessman Donald Trump, who has 13 percent support.
{mosads}Neurosurgeon Ben Carson (8 percent), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (7 percent), Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (7 percent) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (6 percent) follow behind.
The poll was conducted amid Trump’s controversial comments Saturday in Iowa, in which he said that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was not a war hero because he was captured during Vietnam.
Republicans seized on the remark to condemn Trump, a celebrity real estate developer who has taken top spots in polls since launching his White House bid in mid-June.
Walker has led a slew of Iowa polls in recent weeks by similar margins to those in the most recent Monmouth poll, leading in favorability especially among tea party and very conservative voters.
The survey of 452 Iowa voters was conducted July 16-19 via landlines and cellphones with a margin of error of 4.6 points.