He’s up 14 points from May and has shot to the lead.

According to a recent survey, Fred Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee who hasn’t officially entered the presidential race, has jumped into the lead in the North Carolina Republican primary.

The survey, released by Public Policy Polling, shows 37 percent of likely Republican primary voters would vote for Thompson, who has gained fame in recent years playing a New York district attorney on the television show “Law & Order.”

Thompson’s showing is a 12 percent increase from a similar survey in May.

“You look at TV every day, and you see him on some TV show. You see him on the news. He’s a rock star,” Republican strategist Ballard Everett said. “I don’t think any of the voters are terribly happy with anybody that’s running for president right now.”

Among announced GOP candidates, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the favorite with 25 percent of likely Republican voters, while Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney both garnered 14 percent.

(via)