Planetsave

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee took the lead for the Republican nomination in the early-voting state of South Carolina in a poll released on Friday that mirrored his rapid rise in national polls.

Huckabee was the choice of 24 percent of South Carolina Republicans in the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll taken December 9-12, up from 3 percent when a similar poll was conducted in July.

Huckabee campaigned this weekend in the state, which holds its Republican primary on January 19, and voters placed him first when asked to name the most believable candidate.

Actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson came in second with 17 percent.

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