South Carolina Polls 2016: Trump Leads the Pack; Rubio Won the Debate

Ted Cruz (left) and Donald Trump had a few spirited exchanges during Saturday’s debate. (Getty)

A plurality of voters say they thought Marco Rubio won Saturday night’s GOP debate in South Carolina, but that hasn’t changed Donald Trump’s status as the frontrunner in the Palmetto State.

We’ll know more in the comings days about what, if any, impact the debate has on the South Carolina race. But the first two polls conducted after the debate make two things clear. One is that Trump retains a commanding lead over the rest of the field. The other is that Rubio and Ted Cruz have the best shot at finishing second.

What follows is an updated look at the South Carolina polling landscape. We’ll start with polls conducted after Saturday’s debate, then move to polls conducted after the New Hampshire primary, but before the debate.

Public Policy Poll

The State newspaper published results February 15 of a poll from Public Policy Polling. The poll was conducted February 14 and 15 and has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. You can read the full poll here.

South Carolina House GOP Caucus Poll

The South Carolina House GOP caucus was the first organization to publish polls both before and after Saturday’s debate. The caucus’ most recent poll was conducted February 14. It has a margin of error of 2.83 percentage points.

Pre-Debate RealClear Politics Polling Average

RealClear Politics keeps a running average of polls from South Carolina and throughout the country. The averages below are from four polls: An Opinion Savvy poll conducted February 10-11 on behalf of the Augusta Chronicle; a poll conducted February 11-12 by the South Carolina House Republican caucus; an American Research Group poll conducted February 11-12; and a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted February 10-12.

Opinion Savvy Poll

The Opinion Savvy poll was conducted February 10 and 11. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. Click here to read the full poll.

South Carolina GOP House Caucus Poll

The South Carolina GOP House caucus poll was conducted February 11-12. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

American Research Group (ARG) Poll

The ARG poll was conducted February 12-13. It has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

CBS News/YouGov Poll

The CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted February 10-12. It has a margin of error of 5.7 percentage points.

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