(VOVworld) - Ben Carson has surged into the lead of the Republican presidential race, getting support from 29% of GOP primary voters, according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Monday.

Presidential candidate Ben Carson is the new leader among Republican presidential candidates in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. (Photo: Chris Keane/Reuters)

That's the highest percentage any GOP candidate has obtained so far in the survey.

Retired neurosurgeon Carson's 29% is followed by businessman Donald Trump at 23%. These findings are similar to a New York Times/CBS poll released last week, which also showed Carson in first place in the national GOP contest.