Poll: Presidential hopeful 'Deez Nuts' has 9 percent support in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- A new poll of North Carolina voters features a surprisingly strong showing for a candidate that can charitably be called a dark horse: "Deez Nuts."

Public Policy Polling released poll numbers Wednesday suggesting Donald Trump leads the Republican field in the state with 24 percent support among Republicans and Hillary Clinton maintains 55 percent among Democrats, but in a Trump-Clinton match-up 9 percent of those polled said they would cast a ballot for the independent candidate, Deez Nuts.

The pollster said the 9 percent support in North Carolina would "go along with his 8 percent in Minnesota and 7 percent in Iowa in our recent polling."

Deez Nuts is one of 536 presidential hopefuls to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. He is listed as an independent based out of Iowa.

The FEC requires only a single page of basic information from prospective candidates and does not verify the identities of those who seek to run.