Recent News

USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings: Cruz rises, Fiorina falls

Watch out, Donald Trump — Ted Cruz is sneaking up on you.

Political experts in our weekly ranking of the Republican candidates have seen a gradual rise for the Texas senator, moving him from 6th place last week to 4th place this week.

Santorum Proposes 20 Percent Flat Tax

Over the weekend former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to preview his tax reform plan, which is centered on a 20 percent flat tax for individuals and corporations:

A Flat Tax Is the Best Path to Prosperity

Since 2007, 15,000 American factories have shut down and more than two million manufacturing jobs have been lost. Wages have flatlined; American families are struggling.

In every recovery since 1960, real GDP grew by 4% a year, according ... Read More >>

Which Republican presidential candidate will drop out next? Maybe these two.

Over the past month, the crowded Republican presidential primary field saw its first two casualties: former Texas governor Rick Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. These early exits surprised some. Walker was as an early front-runner in the polls owing to his conservative record and ability to win statewide office in a traditionally blue state. Perry was seen as a dark horse with untapped potential.

USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings: Trump back on top

Perhaps the reports of Donald Trump’s collapse were premature.

The Donald returns to the top spot in our Power Rankings this week.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is one of several candidates banking on a good showing in the first primary state of New Hampshire to propel his campaign to the nomination. National Journal has a story on Kasich this morning regarding his efforts to “thread the needle” on policy, but that description could just as easily apply to his strategy:

John Kasich Tries to Thread the Needle on … Pretty Much Everything

Now that Wis­con­sin Gov. Scott Walk­er is out of the race, Kasich ... Read More >>

Right now, the 2016 race is the Donald Trump and Ben Carson show, and everyone else is just playing a supporting role.

According to a new Mercyhurst poll released Monday, Trump and Carson lead among Pennsylvania voters, with the pair tied at 18 percent each and no other candidate in the field cracking double digits.

At 27 percent, nationally Donald Trump maintains his frontrunner status among Republican primary voters, but Ben Carson is now closely behind him. Carson’s support has risen significantly since early August, when he polled at six percent. Carson is now at 23 percent, putting him in second place.