Ben Carson on the rise as GOP establishment takes a hit

Donald Trump remains the favorite Republican in a series of new polls, and establishment Republicans and lifetime politicians including Jeb Bush and Scott Walker are continuing to fall behind.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has begun to gain steam behind Trump. The new CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday found Carson up to third place while Bush lost ground in the second place slot and a recent Fox News poll found Carson surging all the way to second place.

See Ben Carson through the years:

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Trump is by far the more brash of the two candidates, fond of bold statements and blunt talk on social media and the campaign trail. Carson, on the other hand, has a quieter demeanor according to many who follow him in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Trump also saw the biggest gains in the poll, up about six points since July. Meanwhile, Carson saw a 5-point jump and Carly Fiorina, who didn't make the cut for the official first GOP debate but earned praise for her performance during the earlier candidate forum, was up 4 points.

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The three candidates seeing gains have different backgrounds but share at least one trait: Washington outsiders seeking to shake up the system.

All candidates in the race for 2016: