UPDATE: Huckabee #1 in North, South Carolina

UPDATE: A second South Carolina poll released today by Insider Advantage also reports Huckabee in 1st place in this key early primary state:

Huckabee 23
Thompson 17
Giuliani 17
Romney 14
McCain 10
Paul 6

The new Rasmussen poll from South Carolina shows Huckabee far ahead of the former front-runners:

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has taken the lead in South Carolina’s Republican Presidential Primary. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Huckabee with 25% of the vote, Mitt Romney with 18% and Fred Thompson with 18%. A month ago, Romney and Thompson were on top.

The latest election poll also shows Rudy Giuliani with 12% of the vote, John McCain with 9%, and Ron Paul with 4%.

Huckabee, at least for the moment, is carrying out the plan envisioned by the Thompson campaign last summer. He attracts from 37% of Evangelical Christians and 29% of conservatives. Thompson currently earns 20% of the Evangelical vote while Romney is supported by 15%.

And a recent survey from North Carolina shows Huckabee enjoying a huge lead:

A new Public Policy Polling survey in North Carolina finds Mike Huckabee dramatically taking the lead in the Republican presidential race with 33% support, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 17%, Fred Thompson at 16%, Mitt Romney at 9% and Sen. John McCain at 8%.

Analysis: "North Carolina Republican primary voters are conservative and want a fellow southern conservative to support for President. Initially they were strongly supportive of Thompson but his support declined each month after he officially announced his candidacy. The better voters got to know him the less they liked him. Huckabee has filled that void as a southern conservative North Carolina Republicans think they can support."