Poll Gives Bush Commanding Lead in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Texas Gov. George W. Bush leads rival Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona by a wide margin in the latest poll among registered voters in South Carolina, which will hold a critical presidential primary in February, news outlets reported Sunday.

In a poll of 332 likely Republican primary voters, Bush led McCain 54% to 21%, despite a major push by McCain in the state, which he has visited 19 times this year, according to the poll conducted by KPC Research of Charlotte, N.C.

Two Republican challengers--publisher Steve Forbes and radio talk show host Alan Keyes--each drew 3% support, while former Christian-right lobbyist Gary Bauer had 1%. None of those polled said they planned to vote for Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah. The poll was conducted Dec. 6 to Dec. 19 and had a 5.4-percentage-point margin of error.

South Carolina will hold its Republican primary on Feb. 19, and the state has become a key campaign battleground for Bush and McCain following the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, is drawing on support from veterans in a state with the highest concentration of active and former members of the military per capita in the country.