Poll: Jeb Bush trails GOP pack in Iowa

Jeb Bush trails six other Republicans in a new poll of Iowa caucus voters released on Wednesday.

The former Florida governor places seventh in the poll with just 5 percent support from likely GOP caucus-goers in a new Quinnipiac University poll.

{mosads}Twenty-five percent said they would definitely not support Bush.

The figures suggest Bush, who is exploring a run for the White House next year, will have a tough case to make with Iowa’s conservative caucus-goers. While he could afford to lose Iowa, finishing as low as seventh in the crowded race would be a real blow.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker maintains a significant lead in Iowa, according to the poll. 

He gets 21 percent support, compared to 13 percent for Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.). Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) got 12 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who entered the presidential race on Tuesday and won the Iowa caucuses in 2008, got 11 percent.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson also finished above Bush, with 7 percent.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie trailed Bush, winning only 3 percent support. Twenty percent said they would definitely not support him.

Though some observers think Bush’s establishment credentials could make him unattractive in Iowa, he has given some indication he wants to take the state’s caucuses seriously. He hired Mitt Romney’s chief Iowa adviser to be a top aide to his campaign and made a swing through the state in March.

Nationally, he is seen as a strong candidate — in part because of his appeal to establishment donors.

The poll had a sample of 667 likely caucus-goers and a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.8 percentage points. In was conducted April 25 through May 4.