Marco Rubio's gains after his endorsement by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley this week have vaulted him into the top tier of the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, pollster Matt Towery told
Newsmax TV on Saturday.
"The Rubio surge, which came after Nikki Haley came out and endorsed him, is going to put him in a three-person race now — effectively," Towery told host J.D. Hayworth on the "Newsmax TV 2016 South Carolina Primary Special."
"Most of the Bush supporters — who were viewed as 'establishment Republicans' — are going to drift in the direction of Rubio" he said. "We've got a three-person race."
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Looking to primaries in the South on Super Tuesday, March 1, Towery told Hayworth that he expected Trump to finish on top.
"In the deep South, we'll see Trump coming in first. Cruz will be challenged a bit because Rubio will pick up some of the establishment vote — so that could be a close battle between those two."
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