Polls: Trump, Clinton remain the leaders in SC

The 2016 presidential front-runners — Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton — still hold large leads in South Carolina, according to polls released Sunday.

Trump led U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 40 percent to 21 percent, according to the poll from CBS News/YouGov. The New York billionaire gained 2 percentage points since the last CBS News poll in mid-December, while Cruz lost 2 percentage points.

At 40 percent, Trump’s tied his highest showing of support in South Carolina since entering the race in June. He last received 40 percent in a CBS News poll in October.

Trump has led 17 of the last 18 polls in the state with the South’s first primary on Feb. 20, according to Real Clear Politics.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida held his spot in third place at 13 percent in the poll taken last week. The top establishment candidate has not raised his level of support in South Carolina and not received any more than16 percent in Palmetto State polls.

Retired Maryland neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s 9 percent was just ahead of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s 8 percent for fourth spot.

The remaining GOP candidates received 3 percent of less.

Among Democrats, Clinton led U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont 60 percent to 38 percent, CBS News/YouGov found.

The former Secretary of State’s 22 percentage point advantage is her smallest over Sanders in South Carolina since the senator entered the race in April. She lost 7 percentage points since the last CBS News poll a month ago, while Sanders gained 7 percentage points.

Still, Clinton led among African-American voters 76 percent-22 percent in South Carolina, the first main primary state with a significant minority population.

But Sanders leads Clinton in the two major states voting ahead of South Carolina’s Feb. 27 Democratic primary, CBS News/YouGov found.

Sanders leads 47 percent-46 percent in Iowa, which holds its caucus on Feb. 1, and 57 percent-38 percent in New Hampshire, which has its primary on Feb. 9.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley registered at zero in the S.C. poll, which has not happened since September.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Polls: Trump, Clinton remain the leaders in SC."