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Week 3 results for USA TODAY’s GOP Power Rankings (Photos via AP)
With the second GOP debate on the horizon, little has changed in our power rankings since last week —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with the exception of the continued slide of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Walker placed seventh in our inaugural power rankings, then eighth last week, and now ninth heading into the debate.
Walker’s decline has been “both substantial and dramatic,” said Lilly Goren, a political science professor at Carroll University —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>which is in Wisconsin. Goren said the debate may offer a signal of whether Walker has “a plan to move him back to the first tier of candidates.”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks to supporters on Sept. 11, 2015, in Maquoketa, Iowa.
(Nicki Kohl/Telegraph Herald via AP)
Margie Omero, a Democratic pollster at Purple Strategies, said Walker is discovering “he can’t cruise to the nomination just based on one good showing in Iowa a few months ago and his record on unions.”
The one-time front-runner has been dropping in the polls as well, not just our power rankings.
The bottom tier of candidates all moved up a notch in our rankings on the strength of Rick Perry’s departure from the race, but that may be cold comfort.
“This week’s debate is a critical opportunity for struggling candidates to gain traction,” said GOP strategist Henry Barbour. “And Rick Perry’s demise shows campaigns need hard dollars to survive. I am sure there are some nervous candidates and campaign teams this week.”
Speculation runs high that Wednesday could be the last hurrah for some of the lower-tier campaigns.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>But there could also be a big upside for some candidates —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and the party —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>this week.
“Jeb Bush’s tax plan offers the GOP the opportunity to talk economic growth and opportunity in the second debate rather than immigration and mass deportations,” said former RNC official Frank Donatelli.
The top of our rankings remain the same this week —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Donald Trump in the lead by a mile (22 first-place votes), with Ben Carson (5 first-place votes) and Carly Fiorina (2 first-place votes) holding their ground behind him.
[h=3]Week 3<span style="color: Red;">*</span>rankings<span style="color: Red;">*</span>[/h] [h=4]1. Donald Trump (Last week: 1)[/h] [h=4]2. Ben Carson (2)[/h] [h=4]3. Carly Fiorina (3)[/h] [h=4]4. Jeb Bush (4)[/h] [h=4]5. Ted Cruz (5)[/h] [h=4]6. Marco Rubio (6)[/h] [h=4]7. John Kasich (7)[/h] [h=4]8. Mike Huckabee<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(9)[/h] [h=4]9. Scott Walker<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(8)[/h] [h=4]10. Rand Paul (10)[/h] [h=4]11. Chris Christie (11)[/h] [h=4]12. Bobby Jindal (12)[/h] [h=4]13. Rick Santorum (13)[/h] [h=4]14. Lindsey Graham (15)[/h] [h=4]15. George Pataki (16)[/h] [h=4]16. Jim Gilmore (17)[/h] [h=3](See previous rankings:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Week 1<span style="color: Red;">*</span>| Week 2)[/h] [h=6]Participants in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>USA TODAY’s GOP Power Rankings:[/h] Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and author of The Selfie Vote
Henry Barbour, Republican strategist, Mississippi
Paul Brathwaite, principal, Podesta Group
Dianne Bystrom, director, Center for Women and Politics, Iowa State University
Herman Cain, talk show host and former GOP presidential candidate
Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and CNN Commentator, The Dewey Square Group
Frank Donatelli, former RNC deputy chairman and Reagan advisor
Sara Fagen, partner, DDC Advocacy
Peter Fenn, Democratic political strategist, Fenn Communications
Denise Feriozzi, deputy executive director, EMILY’s List
Karen Floyd, CEO, The Palladian Group and former South Carolina GOP chair
Aaron Ghitelman, communications manager, HeadCount
Andra Gillespie, polling analyst and political science professor, Emory University
Nathan L. Gonzales, editor, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report
Lilly J. Goren, political science and global studies professor, Carroll University
Doug Gross, Iowa attorney and previous Republican gubernatorial nominee
O. Kay Henderson, news director, Radio Iowa
Ken Khachigian, senior partner, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Carl Leubsdorf, Washington columnist, The Dallas Morning News
Deb Lucia, Topeka 912 – the Capital City Tea Party
Matt Mackowiak, Republican consultant and president, Potomac Strategy Group, LLC
Dan Maffei, former Democratic congressman, New York
Phil Musser, chairman, IMGE digital media agency
Margie Omero, Democratic pollster, Purple Insights
Jon Ralston, host, “Ralston Live” on PBS affiliates in Nevada
Craig Robinson, founder and editor, TheIowaRepublican.com
Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Sr. VP of digital strategy, turner4D
Dante Scala, political science professor, University of New Hampshire
Adam Sharp, head of news, government and elections, Twitter
Alex Smith, national chairman, College Republicans
Todd Spangler, Washington correspondent, Detroit Free Press
Kathy Sullivan, DNC committeewoman and former Democratic Party chair, New Hampshire
Special thanks to the Palladian Group for building our survey platform.
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