• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

This Is Who CEOs Would Elect President

By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 19, 2016, 11:55 AM ET
GOP Presidential Candidates Debate In Charleston
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - JANUARY 14: Republican presidential candidates (L-R) Ohio Governor John Kasich, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ben Carson and Jeb Bush participate in the Fox Business Network Republican presidential debate at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center on January 14, 2016 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The sixth Republican debate is held in two parts, one main debate for the top seven candidates, and another for three other candidates lower in the current polls. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images

Chief Executive magazine’s website conducted a survey of its readers to find out the favorite presidential candidate among C-Suite voters.

The January survey is a follow-up to one conducted in August. Donald Trump remains the number one choice, receiving 21.1% of the vote, up from 20.7% in the first poll. Though seemingly impressive, it’s notable that there are seven less candidates now than there were over the summer, and six other candidates have lost significant chunks of support in those five months. The newly available votes seemed to be divided mostly among Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, and Ted Cruz, who saw their support increase by 342%, 335%, and 265% respectively.

Ben Carson, who was the second favorite candidate in August with 18.1%, fell far behind with just 2.1%. Rubio, who only had 4.3% support in the first poll, is now up at second place with 19%. Cruz comes in third at 12.4%, and Hillary Clinton rings in at fourth with 12%, up from her previous 10.3%.

Jeb Bush, who has seen his poll numbers drop dramatically in the same period, went down from 11.2% in August to 8.1% this month. Bernie Sanders‘ support dropped a bit as well from 3.4% to 1.9%.

About the Author
By Michal Addady
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

BankingBanks
Peter Thiel warned AI is coming for ‘math people before word people.’ Banks have already said smaller headcounts are possible
By Jason MaMarch 7, 2026
10 hours ago
AIOpenAI
OpenAI robotics leader resigns over concerns about surveillance and autonomous weapons amid Pentagon contract
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Distressed young man, with his palm to his head
SuccessGen Z
Gen Z men with college degrees now have the same unemployment rate as non-grads—a sign that the higher education payoff is dead
By Preston ForeMarch 7, 2026
13 hours ago
SuccessEntrepreneurs
Ring is one of the largest companies ever to come out of Shark Tank. Its CEO says he prepared for his pitch like an Olympic athlete
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 7, 2026
17 hours ago
robot
AIWork
‘Society needs radical restructuring’: AI hates the grind of hard work as much as you
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 7, 2026
17 hours ago
AIdisruption
OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla believes AI will be able to do 80% of all jobs by 2030. Here’s how life could be affordable after mass unemployment
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Treasury may need to borrow an extra $1.6 trillion to cover the hole left by tariff ruling and pay a further $400 billion in debt interest
By Eleanor PringleMarch 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z graduates who majored in ‘AI-proof’ careers like pharmacy, biology, and education are making less than $50,000 after graduation
By Emma BurleighMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Anthropic just mapped out which jobs AI could potentially replace. A 'Great Recession for white-collar workers' is absolutely possible
By Jake AngeloMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nobel laureate Joe Stiglitz says not only can AI take your job, it’ll make the ‘tech bro’ class richer while doing so
By Catherina GioinoMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump's loss of $1.7 trillion in tariff revenue will send the national debt to $58 trillion by 2036, think tank projects
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 5, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.