Mitt Romney Backers Going for Scott Walker Over Jeb Bush in Iowa

When it comes to the Iowa caucus, Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., is the chief beneficiary of former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., not running for president in 2016.

We see Scott Walker leading; he clearly took the Mitt Romney vote, Doug Kaplan from Gravis said. The debates the Republicans will have that start later in the year will be much more important than previous years.

Gravis Marketing released a poll on Tuesday showing Walker ahead with 24 percent while former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tied in second with 10 percent each. Gov. Chris Christie, R-NJ, is fourth with 9 percent. Despite winning the caucus in 2008, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., is tied for fifth with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., with 7 percent each. Another past winner, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn, who beat Romney in 2012 here, takes 6 percent followed by Dr. Ben Carson with 5 percent. U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pulls 4 percent followed by businesswoman Carly Fiorina with 3 percent.

Kaplan said he expected the field to winnow in the coming months.

It is hard in a large field to get a real number, when out of a dozen or more possible candidates, only six or eight will be viable Jan. 5, 2016, the day of the Iowa caucuses, Kaplan said.

The poll of 343 Iowa Republicans was taken Feb. 12-13 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.