Ted Cruz is the new GOP frontrunner in Iowa

Ted Cruz just snagged the lead for the first time in an early state poll. A new Monmouth University poll of Iowa out Monday shows the Texas senator overtaking Donald Trump in the state with 24 percent support to Trump's 19 percent. "As Ben Carson's stock has fallen, Cruz has been able to corral most of those voters," Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has dropped a notable 19 points in the poll since October, when he led the Iowa Monmouth poll by 14 points over Trump. Now, Carson has tumbled to fourth place with 13 percent, also overtaken by third-place Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with 17 percent. Jeb Bush follows with 6 percent, Rand Paul with 4 percent, and Carly Fiorina and John Kasich each with 3 percent.
The poll, conducted among 425 registered, active voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Lord of the Flies: William Golding’s modern classic is brought to ‘thrilling life’
The Week Recommends Anthony Lau’s ‘searing’ staging is anchored by an ‘extraordinary’ cast
-
Rising costs are making it harder for people to afford pets
Under the Radar Shelters are filling up as a result
-
Crossword: October 2, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland
-
Trump declares new tariffs on drugs, trucks, furniture
Speed Read He's putting tariffs of 25% on semi trucks, 30% on upholstered furniture, 50% on kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and 100% on certain drugs
-
Amazon reaches ‘historic’ $2.5B Prime settlement
speed read The company allegedly tricked customers into signing up for Prime membership that was then difficult to cancel
-
Trump DOJ indicts Comey, longtime Trump target
Speed Read The president is using the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies