Scott Walker Leads GOP Race In Latest Iowa Poll

A year out from the Iowa caucuses, potential presidential candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has taken the lead among Republicans, an Iowa Poll published Saturday indicates. With 15 percent support, Walker leads a number of other potential candidates for the Republican ticket, including Rand Paul, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush, the Des Moines Register reported.

Walker is the No. 2 candidate among potential caucus attendees who support an establishment candidate as well as those who prefer one who is anti-establishment, the Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa poll indicated.

Following close behind, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky came in with 14 percent. And 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who bowed out of the race before the poll was released, held 13 percent. "After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee," Romney said Friday.

Without Romney in the race, the candidates below him picked up a few more points, including Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Fox News host, who picked up 3 percent.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also picked up a couple of points, bringing him to a tie with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

While Walker is still behind at the national level, the presidential hopeful has been making gains, holding 11 percent, according to Public Policy Polling. It’s the first time he’s registered at double digits, the firm said.

The Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll, conducted Monday through Thursday, was gathered from 402 phone interviews of registered Iowa voters likely to attend the 2016 Republican caucuses and 401 likely to attend the Democratic caucuses, planned for Feb. 1, 2016. The margin of error was 4.9 percentage points.

View the full Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics Iowa poll below: