The Republican race in South Carolina is going down to the wire as the deadline for the ballot quickly approaches, according to a new poll that shows Donald Trump leading the GOP field by only 5 points with rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) coming in at a close second.
Friday's NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist survey found that Trump has 28 percent support among likely Republican voters going into Saturday's South Carolina primary, while Cruz has 23 percent. Though Trump is still ahead in the South Carolina polls, it's still a far cry from the commanding 36 to 20 percent lead he had in January.
The two are followed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) whose support sits at 15 percent. The Florida Republican has taken some of Trump's potential support in the Palmetto State and currently stands as the most popular second choice among the states voters.
Close behind him is Jeb Bush, who is under increasing pressure to deliver a strong showing in S.C. and even enlisted the aid of his brother President George W. Bush to campaign there this week, standing at 13 percent. Coming up tied for fifth place are Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) and Ben Carson at 9 percent support each, according to USA Today.
What seperates Trump from his competitiors, however, is "loyalty" from voters. Only 8 percent of voters indicated they may vote differently come Saturday's primary, compared to 15 percent of those supporting Rubio and Cruz, and 22 percent of Bush supporters.
A win in South Carolina would be pivotal for any of the Republican candidates; however, it would be a particularly important one for Trump who is entering the primary hot off of a decisive win in New Hampshire. A win in South Carolina would estabish Trump's status as the dominant front-runner, and provide some cushion since Cruz is expected to run the table in Southern state primaries. More importantly, however, a Trump win would also make it difficult for critics within the party to argue that they have a viable means to stop him, according to The Hill.
The primary is still a day away, and while a lot could happen within that time frame many predict that Trump will take South Carolina.
"Every indication is that the polls are right," said Chip Felkel, a Republican strategist in South Carolina who is not affiliated with any presidential campaign. "Unless lightning strikes, I think he's in good shape to win this whole thing."
In the meantime, the Democratic South Carolina primary, which will be held the following Saturday on Feb. 27, looks like a lock for Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state holds a commanding 60 to 32 percent lead in front of Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).
The Republican poll had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points while the poll for the Democrats had a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.
