--- description: Bush surging in a poll conducted after Thursday's GOP debate and an endorsement from Sen. Lindsey Graham title: Bush Gains Ground in South Carolina After Debate image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0137f9fb0ae92568/6988799eab6d772a6d6a8040/gettyimages-505112712.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Bush Gains Ground in South Carolina After Debate by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 19, 2016 5:33 PM CUT  Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, left, shakes hands with Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, during a news conference in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016\. Bush received Graham's endorsement today the day after the Republican party's White House hopefuls met to debate Thursday night. Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, left, shakes hands with Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, during a news conference in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016\. Bush received Graham's endorsement today the day after the Republican party's White House hopefuls met to debate Thursday night.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 19, 2016 5:33 PM CUT Jeb Bush is surging in South Carolina, according to a new poll, but rivals Donald Trump and Ted Cruz still have him beat in the state. The former Florida governor has seen his numbers drop with the rise of front-runner Donald Trump, but his support is [climbing](http://time.com/4183663/jeb-bush-donald-trump-new-hampshire/ "undefined") after [Thursday’s Republican debate in North Charleston](http://time.com/4182076/republican-debate-watch-four-minutes/ "undefined"). Bush was in third place with 13 percent, behind Trump’s 32 percent and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 18 percent, according to a poll conducted by OpinionSavvy for Morris News Service and InsiderAdvantage, a political news site based in Georgia. Bush held an early lead in the state until Trump emerged in August. This is his best showing since then, according to his polling average compiled by Real Clear Politics. Sen. Lindsey Graham endorsed Bush on Friday, the same day the poll was taken. Graham told reporters that Bush looked “ready on day one to be commander-in-chief.” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio—a former protege of Bush—is hot on his heels at 11 percent, followed by Ben Carson at 9 percent. The other candidates were all below five percent, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Carly Fiorina and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. **Read More:** [_History Shows It’s Still Too Early for Polls to Matter_](http://time.com/4184449/iowa-caucus-election-polls/ "undefined") South Carolina is first Southern state to vote in the primaries and has historically been an important barometer for success in later contests—both Bush’s father and brother [won the state on their way to the White House](http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article55176940.html "undefined"), reports the _State_. The poll surveyed 683 people likely to vote in the South Carolina Republican primary on February 20\. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.7%. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4185290/jeb-bush-gains-south-carolina-poll/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4185290/jeb-bush-gains-south-carolina-poll/"},"headline":"Bush Gains Ground in South Carolina After Debate","datePublished":"2016-01-19T17:33:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T14:14:52.554Z","description":"An endorsement from Sen. 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