EMAIL: chad@thedeadpelican.com



CRUZ WINS 1ST LOUISIANA STRAW POLL

8/12/2015-- 9:24 AM CDT

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The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish conducted a poll of Republican elected officials and activists at the party's Ronald Reagan Newsmaker Luncheon Tuesday.

It was one of the first Presidential straw polls to be conducted anywhere in the nation during the 2016 election cycle.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led the field with 25.6 percent, followed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker with 17.9 percent and Donald Trump with 15.4 percent, according the parish Republican chairman Woody Jenkins.

Participants in the straw poll were attending a forum for State Representative from House District 66 in the Oct. 24 primary election. Jenkins said the straw poll was not publicized in advance in order to try to get a true snapshot of what Republican activists in Baton Rouge are thinking and avoid candidates packing the meeting in order to pad the results.

Attendees were also asked their second choice for President. The top vote-getters were Scott Walker with 25.6 percent, Carly Fiorina with 23.1 percent, and Jeb Bush with 12.8 percent.

Here are the results for all the candidates:

1st Choice for President

Ted Cruz — 25.6 percent

Scott Walker — 17.9 percent
Donald Trump — 15.4 percent
Marco Rubio — 12.8 percent
Ben Carson — 7.7 percent
Jeb Bush — 5.1 percent
Carly Fiorino — 5.1 percent
Rand Paul — 2.5 percent
Mike Huckabee — 2.5 percent
Bobby Jindal — 2.5 percent
Rick Santorum — 2.5 percent
Ben Carson — 2.5 percent

2nd Choice for President

Scott Walker — 26.3 percent
Carly Fiorino — 23.7 percent
Jeb Bush — 13.2 percent
Ted Cruz — 10.5 percent
Marco Rubio — 7.9 percent
Mike Huckabee — 5.3 percent
Donald Trump — 5.3 percent
Rick Santorum — 2.6 percent
John Kasich — 2.6 percent

Participants in the forum were also asked the names of all the Republican candidates they are actively considering supporting. They were not shown a list of candidates in order to determine which candidates were on the top of their minds. This is a list of the candidates the Republicans said they are considering supporting:

Scott Walker — 51.3 percent
Ted Cruz — 43.6 percent
Carly Fiorino — 35.9 percent
Marco Rubio — 30.8 percent
Donald Trump — 25.6 percent
Jeb Bush — 23.1 percent
Ben Carson — 12.8 percent
Mike Huckabee — 10.6 percent
Rand Paul — 10.6 percent
Bobby Jindal —7.7 percent
Rick Santorum — 5.1 percent
Rick Perry — 2.6 percent
John Kasich — 2.6 percent

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Gov. George Pataki, and former Gov. James Gilmore received no votes.



by Chad E. Rogers
(C) THE DEAD PELICAN 2015