Ben Carson Tied With Donald Trump in New Iowa Poll

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson tied real estate mogul Donald Trump for the top slot in a poll released Monday, the first time another contender has matched Trump’s lead in the state.

The Monmouth University Poll showed a groundswell of support for outsider candidates with short political resumes.

Carson matched Trump with 23% support among the state’s Republican voters, both of whom were followed by former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina with 10%. None of the remaining candidates, including established political players such as Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, managed to crack the double digits.

“These results mark a significant shake-up in the leaderboard from Monmouth’s Iowa poll taken before the first debate,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute said in a public statement.

The poll of 405 registered Republicans in Iowa who voted in at least one of the last two state primary elections and said they were likely to attend the caucuses was taken from Aug. 27-30. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Why Republicans Run in Cowboy Boots

Like a lot of Republican ideas, the trend toward wearing cowboy boots began with Ronald Reagan.

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President George W. Bush, showing off boots with the presidential seal here at his inauguration, furthered the trend.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais—AP

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, shown here on the stump in Iowa, favored cowboy boots.

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They're also a favored fashion statement for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

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Even former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was known to sport a pair.

Jose Luis Magana—AP

It's not just men. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been known to put on a pair of cowboy boots.

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Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also goes for the look.

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Like his predecessor, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry long favored cowboy boots, but he's no longer able to wear them.

Tom Worner—AP

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is also a fan.

Charlie Neibergall—AP

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul also favors boots with blue jeans, a classic Western look.

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These days, if you're running for president as a Republican, chance are good that you are wearing cowboy boots.

Richard Shiro—AP

Even Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has been known to wear them.

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