Winthrop Poll: Donald Trump favorite of SC Republicans — again

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has surged nationally in recent weeks, moved into second in the new Winthrop survey — his best showing in a South Carolina poll since April. He received 16 percent to Trump’s 24 percent.

Cruz seems to be winning over some Trump backers, who might think the senator is more electable, Huffmon said.

“People are finally hearing (Cruz’s) message about his anger

Trailing Cruz in the Winthrop poll were Carson (14 percent), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (11 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (9 percent).

The five leading GOP candidates in South Carolina are pulling away from the remaining nine hopefuls, who received 2 percent or less from Republican voters in the new poll.

They include Sen. Lindsey Graham of Seneca, the first sitting South Carolina politician to run for president in three decades. Graham remains near the back of the 14-candidate pack for the nomination in other early-primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire.

Some Republican leaders — including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a former White House hopeful himself — have suggested candidates with meager poll numbers drop out of the race so front-runners can better battle Trump.

Now, candidates must answer to criticism from Trump as well as candidates who are polling under them, Huffmon said.

The Winthrop poll was taken from Nov. 30 through Monday, the day that Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims traveling into the United States in the wake of ISIS-related mass shootings in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif.

S.C. Republican leaders criticized Trump, including Gov. Nikki Haley, who called his proposed Muslim ban “un-American.”

But his proposal, which some condemned as unconstitutional, has not hurt Trump’s support in the Palmetto State as the Feb. 20 primary approaches.

On Wednesday, Fox News released a poll showing Trump leading Carson by 35 percent to 15 percent in the Palmetto State. Cruz and Rubio were tied for third at 14 percent. That poll was taken this week after Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban.

The terrorism and ISIS topped S.C. GOP voters’ top issue in the election by nearly a 2-to-1 margin over the economy, the next highest response, according to the Winthrop poll.

The survey found that 67 percent of S.C. Republican voters favor surveillance of mosques and 48 percent back a database of Muslims in the United States versus 42 percent who oppose it.

Those suggestions, mentioned by Trump, drew even more backing from his supporters — 80 percent of whom want mosques monitored and 72 percent support the database.

The GOP race has changed quite bit since Winthrop last took a poll of S.C. Republicans in April.

Bush was the leader in the last university poll with Cruz and Graham tied for second. Trump did not enter the race until June, which started with controversial comments Mexican immigrants and has continued with sharp jabs at his opponents and the media.

But with his promises of using his experience as a real estate mogul to make sweeping changes, Trump has found steady support among voters who feel alienated and want a political newcomer to lead in Washington, D.C.

Winthrop Poll surveyed 828 likely S.C. Republican voters in a poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Winthrop Poll: Donald Trump favorite of SC Republicans — again."