AP Photo/Jim Cole
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey published Sunday night found that Cruz had surged to 22%, the No. 2 position behind front-runner Donald Trump's 27%.
That represents a 12-point gain for Cruz since the end of October, when the same pollster last tested the race.
In that October survey, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson led the crowded field of candidates with 29% support, ahead of Trump's 23% and Cruz's 10%.
Carson's support collapsed to just 11% in the poll released Sunday. That garnered him fourth place after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), who had 15%. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) had 7%.
But the good-news polls didn't end there for Cruz: A pair of new Iowa polls found the Texas senator beating Trump among likely caucus-goers in the crucial first-caucus state. A Fox News survey found Cruz leading Trump 28% to 26% in Iowa, while a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll found Cruz soaring above Trump 31% to 21%.
Trump responded by suggesting that the Register/Bloomberg poll was rigged against him, and by touting a CNN poll from last week that found him with a double-digit lead in Iowa.
Why doesn't @FoxNews quote the new Iowa @CNN Poll where I have a 33% to 20% lead over Ted Cruz and all others. Think about it!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2015Never get good #'s from failing Des Moines Register/Bloomberg. I think something's going on w/them. Up 13 in IA according to respected CNN.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2015