Trump up big in Nevada

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump holds a commanding lead in the party’s Feb. 23 Nevada caucuses, according to a CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday. 

{mosads}Trump has 45 percent support, followed by 19 percent who said they are backing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), 17 percent who are backing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and 7 percent who are backing retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) comes in fifth, with 5 percent support, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, with 1 percent support.

Forty-one percent of caucusgoers say they are still deciding who they will support in the race.

Trump is up in the poll by 7 points since October, while Rubio gained 12 points and Cruz 13.

The billionaire businessman is seen as the best candidate by overwhelming margins to handle the economy and curb illegal immigration, according to respondents.

He is also the favorite candidate in terms of foreign policy and on social issues like gay marriage and abortion.

Thirty-five percent of respondents said Trump best represents conservative values, compared to 22 percent for Cruz and 20 percent for Rubio.

The CNN/ORC poll surveyed 245 likely Republican caucus voters from Feb. 10-15. It has a margin of error of 6.5 percent.