Donald Trump has new competition in North Carolina: Deez Nuts

In the poll of North Carolina voters released Wednesday morning, 9 percent of them are throwing their support behind (or under?) Deez Nuts.

However, it’s another “candidate” who is making headlines today.

When North Carolina TV station WTVD tweeted about Nuts’ surge in the polls, many concerned Twitter users thought the account had been compromised. Others making a bid for the White House include a woman named “Sara H. Paylin” and a cat named Limberbutt McCubbins.

You always knew “Deez Nuts” would be a fringe candidate. But when compared to the two main political parties’ frontrunners, he’s polling at 9 percent.

Donald Trump’s momentum continues to grow in North Carolina but a certain independent candidate is holding their own.

Nuts, of Wallingford, Iowa, also got the support of 8% of likely voters in Minnesota and 7% in of likely voters in Iowa, the poll found. It remains unclear if Deez Nuts is a male or a female.

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.

The good folks at the liberal-tilting, Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling are out with another presidential survey this morning.

Nuts is tied with Marco Rubio and leads Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Scott Walker.

The survey conducted Aug. 12-16 included 406 Republican primary voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent for that group.

Among Democrats, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led Vermont Sen.