Donald Trump remains on top of polls prior to GOP debate

SIMI VALLEY, CA (KTRK) -- Donald Trump knows this is a big debate -- it was the first thing he mentioned at a quick appearance on board the USS Iowa last night.

"I'm here for a certain reason," he told the crowd of about five hundred people who crowded the aft deck of the battleship. You know, it's called tomorrow night. "

But it is bigger maybe for everyone on the stage not named Trump.

Among the other 10 candidates Carly Fiorina. The former HP CEO who Trump has criticized personally.

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, who played Sarah Palin in mock debates with then Senator Joe Biden in 2008, says this is a real opportunity for Fiorina.

"Carly Fiorina has a lot of pressure because everbody is looking at her saying 'Are you going to punch Donald Trump?'," Granholm told Eyewitness News. "And of course she is. She is going to use this opportunity to try to take him down a peg and use that to elevate her. "

Part of what makes both candidates appealing to their followers is that they are outsiders---not politicians. The same is true for neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Recent polling has him closing the wide gap with Trump. And tonight---standing next to Trump could propel him even further. Last week in Conroe, he spoke to a packed house and we asked him about the importance of tonight's performance.

"I suspect that since I'll be center stage with Donald Trump, there will be more attention focused on me this time around," Carson said, I certainly hope so because I would really love to have an opportunity to talk about some important issues. "

Carson, Fiorina, and Trump -- three candidates who've made it to main stage without holding office -- hoping to win the highest office of all.