• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

3

Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

3

Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
LeadershipBen Carson

Ben Carson should thank Iowa’s women for his new lead over Trump

By
Liz Olson
Liz Olson
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Liz Olson
Liz Olson
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 23, 2015, 4:01 PM ET
Ben Carson Holds Campaign Rally In Anaheim
ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks a campaign rally at the Anaheim Convention Center September 9, 2015 in Anaheim, California. Carson's poll numbers have surged nationally and in the early voting state of Iowa following his performance in the first Republican debate on August 6 to the point where he now trails only frontrunner Donald Trump. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)Photograph by Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Republican establishment may have won its first converts in its thinly disguised effort to send frontrunner Donald Trump to the sidelines of the presidential primary contest.

Back-to-back polls in recent days show that Iowa’s strong cohort of evangelical voters is, for now, casting its lot with Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, over Trump. While polls routinely fluctuate, Trump has had an unusually lengthy run at the top of the heap, besting more than a dozen GOP rivals.

But conservative Republican voters may be sounding the first alert that rural Iowa, very far away from billionaire Trump’s glittery New York City bastion, may become the candidate’s Waterloo. Some 28% of those surveyed in a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg politics poll this week favored Carson. That was ahead of Trump’s 19%.

This may be a reflection of the cultural gulf between tractors and private jets, or it may be that Carson’s resolute Christianity edges out Trump’s newly acquired spirituality. Trump is carrying a Bible these days and professing to be a believer, in addition to having the necessary force to “make America great again.”

Compared to Trump, Carson is certainly more amiable and soft spoken, both solid Midwestern virtues. An African-American surgeon with impeccable medical credentials from his career at Baltimore’s renowned Johns Hopkins University, Carson has no hesitation, though, in expressing isolationist, and often inflammatory, views. He has said the country is on a wrong path, modeling its health care system on slavery and its foreign policy on communism.

No matter the accuracy of his views, his low-key approach has won over evangelical voters who, as recently as August, had given Trump the thumbs up over Carson, 23% to 18%.

A big boost in Carson’s support came from women, who helped push him ahead of Trump, and over two other trailing candidates, Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, both of whom are sitting U.S. senators. Hawk Eye voters had little interest in once evangelical favorites like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, both of whom are stuck in the political doldrums, according to polls, despite their Christian credentials.

The Des Moines Register poll’s findings came on the heels of another from Quinnipiac University, where women were sharply in favor of Carson over Trump, siding with him by 20 points, 33 to 13. Men were almost evenly split, with 25% backing Carson and 24% choosing Trump.

Some 30% of people who say they are likely to participate in the Iowa Republican Caucus said they “would definitely not support” Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. As for Jeb Bush, who is often cited as the choice of the traditional Republican establishment, 21% of participants said that there is “no way” they would support him for the nomination.

While most of the 574 poll participants said Carson is better equipped to handle social issues, they chose Trump by significant margins on the economy, taxes, and illegal immigration. Those questioned split closely on which of two top candidates would best handle foreign policy.

About one third of those questioned said the key issue in their backing was a candidate’s support for their values, and slightly fewer, 23%, said they wanted a candidate who is honest and trustworthy. Those qualities tipped the balance for Carson, who, according to 84% of participants, shares their values, and who, according to 89%, is honest and trustworthy.

Only one-third of those questioned said they believed Trump is a committed Christian.

To bolster his Christian bona fides, Trump, in a campaign appearance in Burlington, Iowa, this week, promised to rid use of the expression “happy holidays” to refer to the end-of-the-year holiday period.

“I’m a good Christian,” he told a rally, according to CNN. “If I become president, we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store.”

About the Author
By Liz Olson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Ejay O'Donnell, Bart Szaniewski, and Grant Eastey wear Dad Gang hats in a factory
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Three dads started selling hats from a garage with $750—now they’ve sold $35 million worth, partnered with Gary Vee, and grown a community of fathers
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 hours ago
loco
Travel & LeisureEntrepreneurship
The World Cup is just now discovering Middle America’s big heart. These Irish bingo kingpins built a $24 million business knowing it all along
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 4, 2026
3 hours ago
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
MPWMost Powerful Women
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 4, 2026
5 hours ago
Elon Musk with a black DOGE hat
SuccessWealth
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ every day Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
5 hours ago
‘It’s just his AI and my AI going back and forth’: The workplace phenomenon that’s undermining human relationships
Future of WorkWorkforce
‘It’s just his AI and my AI going back and forth’: The workplace phenomenon that’s undermining human relationships
By Jacqueline MunisJuly 3, 2026
21 hours ago
Chad Hurley and Steven Chen wearing suits
SuccessWealth
YouTube’s founders split over $650 million when they sold to Google in 2006—had they held out, they could have taken a slice of $550 billion
By Preston ForeJuly 3, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
On Wall Street, analysts increasingly don’t believe the U.S. government’s 'misleading' job numbers
Economy
On Wall Street, analysts increasingly don’t believe the U.S. government’s 'misleading' job numbers
By Jim EdwardsJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago
In Iran, regime officials who survived the war intended to kill them appear in public for dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei
Politics
In Iran, regime officials who survived the war intended to kill them appear in public for dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei
By Nasser Karimi, Jon Gambrell and The Associated PressJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.