Carson Closes Gap on Trump in Poll
Riding a wave of momentum, Ben Carson gained on Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in a new presidential primary poll that crystallizes the two political newcomers' dominance of a crowded GOP field. The New York Times/CBS News poll released Tuesday showed Trump maintaining his national lead with 27. Carson was the choice of 23 of respondents, up from just 6 in a similar CBS News survey taken before the first GOP debate. The remainder of the GOP field is closely bunched. Former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas earned 6 in the poll, as did Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz notched 5, while businesswoman Carly Fiorina got 4. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul were the choice of 3 of respondents. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got 1. , Carson's ascendance reflects the degree to which political outsiders have siphoned support from traditional politicians so far in the GOP nominating contest. The soft-spoken former physician made gains as seasoned politicians like Bush and Wisconsin Scott Walker slipped. Bush's support was cut in half from the 13 he got in the prior CBS News survey, while Walker tumbled from 10 to 2 in Tuesday's poll. One consolation for the struggling politicos is the race remains very much in flux. Just 37 of respondents said their mind was made up, while 63 said it was still too early to commit to a candidate. The top 11 candidates will square off Wednesday night in the second primary debate of the GOP nominating contest. The poll has a margin of error of three percentage points overall, with a larger margin of error six percentage points for self-identified Republican primary voters. Read Next Ben Carson Finds His Voice on Campaign Trail ,