Just one week ahead of the Texas GOP Primary on March 4, a new CNN Poll shows Sen. John McCain with a commanding lead over Mike Huckabee:

56% John McCain
31% Mike Huckabee
9% Ron Paul (a Texas Congressman)

It should be noted that the survey was taken Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24, AFTER the New York Times hit piece on McCain. It does not appear it did him any harm with Republicans!

The new survey indicates John McCain is the clear favorite in Texas for the Republican presidential nomination. Among likely Republican primary voters, 56 percent said the senator from Arizona is their choice for nominee.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the backing of 31 percent of those questioned, and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was at 9 percent. These numbers are virtually unchanged from last week's poll. The survey's sampling error for Republican respondents is also plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

McCain is the overwhelming front-runner in the fight for the GOP presidential nomination and party leaders have rallied around the candidate in an attempt for party unity. Regardless, Huckabee and Paul remain in the race for now.

There are 137 Republican delegates at stake in Texas.

The poll was conducted by telephone from Friday through Sunday. Pollsters talked to 2,149 adults in Texas, including 861 likely Democratic primary voter and 751 likely Republican primary voters.