Grassley: Cruz rising, but too soon to call him caucus winner

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's too early to predict who will win the Iowa GOP caucuses, but Sen. Chuck Grassley is hearing good things about Texas Sen. Ted Cruz campaign in the first-in-the-nation state.

'I've heard for a month he has a pretty good plan to get faithful people to come to the caucuses,” Grassley said Wednesday. 'That's maybe showing up in the polls now.”

Two polls this week show Cruz battling with Donald Trump for the lead in the Iowa caucus race.

A Monmouth University Poll released early Monday showed Cruz leading businessman Donald Trump 24 percent to 19 percent among likely Republican caucusgoers, with 24 percent. Trump was second, at 19 percent, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, was third at 17 percent.

A CNN/ORC poll of Iowa Republicans, also released Monday, showed Trump leading Cruz 33 percent to 20 percent.

The support of the 'faithful” or evangelical voters, who make up a strong majority of Iowa caucusgoers, may be key to Cruz's performance in the Feb. 1 caucuses. It also may explain his rise over retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Trump.

According to the Monmouth poll, Cruz has taken a wide lead among evangelical, now leading 30 percent to 18 percent for Trump and 15 percent for Carson.

In November, Carson had a two-to-one lead over Trump among evangelicals in the state, taking 36 percent support.

Cruz's support among evangelicals, who made up nearly 60 percent of the participants in the 2012 GOP caucuses, Thursday if The Family Leader and its' president, Bob Vander Plaats, endorse him as expected.

Cruz he may also be benefiting from people who like Carson, but are concerned with his lack of foreign policy experience at a time when national security is a rising priority among voters.

'Some of those people may be going to (Cruz),” Grassley said.

However, Grassley, who has pledged not to endorse a caucus candidate, pointed out the about three-quarters of likely Republican caucusgoers either have not made up their minds or say they are willing to change their minds.

When Washington ask him who will win the caucuses, Grassley tells them, 'Ask me in January.”