Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz (R-Texas. Photo: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons.

NBC – Just before the Thanksgiving pause in the 2016 presidential race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Donald Trump (at 25%) and Ted Cruz (at 23%) at the top among likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers, per a brand-new Quinnipiac poll. They’re followed by Ben Carson (at 18%), Marco Rubio (13%), Rand Paul (5%), and Jeb Bush (at 4%). That’s a big jump for Cruz, who was at just 10% in last month’s Quinnipiac Iowa poll. And it’s a significant decline for Carson, who led that October Iowa poll at 28%.

While it’s just one poll, it does give us a good indication of where things stand in the Republican race about two months out before the Iowa and New Hampshire contests: Trump is back in front; Cruz is gaining ground; Carson is losing ground; Rubio remains in double digits; and Bush is stuck in single digits. Gobble, gobble.