(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is looking more and more like a top-tier contender in Iowa.

The Republican presidential candidate surged to a close No. 2. position in a new Quinnipiac University poll published Tuesday.

Real-estate mogul Donald Trump held onto his first-place status, with 25% support among likely Iowa caucus-goers.

But Cruz was close behind with 23% — within the poll's margin of error.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who briefly topped Trump in Iowa in some October polls, had 18% support. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) followed him with 13%.

"Last month, we said it was Dr. Ben Carson's turn in the spotlight. Today, the spotlight turns to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas," Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown said in a statement.

Brown added, "The Iowa Republican Caucus has become a two-tiered contest: Businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson lead on the outsider track, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio lead among party insiders."

Cruz also surged in a CBS News poll of Iowa published Sunday. In that survey, Trump led with 30%, followed by Cruz with 21% and Carson with 19%.

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