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The exit polls from South Carolina are out, and Donald Trump has a slight early lead

Allan SmithFeb 21, 2016, 05:47 IST

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), left, and Donald Trump at a Washington rally.AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are locked in a tight battle in South Carolina, early exit polls showed.

Trump, the real-estate mogul, had a 31% to 27% edge over Cruz, a Texas senator, for first place in the state, CBS News reported.

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, was in third with 23%. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was in fourth with 7% of the vote.

And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich were tied for fifth at just 6% each.

Heading into Saturday, Trump held a 13-point lead over Rubio for first place, according to the Real Clear Politics average of several recent polls. Cruz was a close third, with Bush and Kasich coming in fourth and fifth.

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