Q: What do the most recent public opinion polls show about Sen. Ted Cruz’s popularity among Republican voters? Has his approval rating among Republicans gone up or down since the government shutdown? What is his Q score (assuming politicians are ranked in such a way)?
—Vicky Benedict, Atlanta
A: Cruz's popularity among Republicans has decreased and was at about 12 percent last month, according to a poll by The Washington Post and ABC. That put Cruz fourth behind Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), former Florida governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie among all Republicans. Cruz led among tea party supporters – about one-fifth of those who participated in the poll — with 28 percent, according to the Post. Cruz was tied for fifth among Republicans in consideration to run in the Republican primary in 2016, according to Public Policy Polling. Former Arkansas governor and current radio and TV show host Mike Huckabee is first at 16 percent, followed by Bush (14 percent), Christie (13 percent), Sen. Rand Paul (11 percent), of Kentucky, and Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ryan with 8 percent each. Cruz lost support from fellow Republicans in the Senate after his involvement in the government shutdown last fall and angered them after a recent maneuver that forced them to vote to raise the national debt ceiling. The Q Scores Company (qscores.com) doesn't measure politicians, so it doesn't have a Q Score for Cruz, a spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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