RANKED: Here's where the GOP candidates stand going into their big debate tonight

The top 11 Republican presidential candidates are set to square off Wednesday night in the second GOP debate of the campaign.

With less than 420 days until the election, we took a look at where the GOP's top contenders stand heading into the debate.

Our rankings are based on the Real Clear Politics averages of national polls and those in New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina — the three first voting states. We also factored in candidates' momentum (or lack thereof) over the past few weeks.

Here's a look at where all the candidates stand.

11. Chris Christie, New Jersey governor

Christie is lucky — if CNN used the same methodology as Fox News did for its first debate, he'd be off the main stage. Instead, he's just barely here, mired in 11th place in an average of six recent Real Clear Politics national polls.

Christie did nothing to help his cause in the first Republican presidential debate, and he has failed to build any type of momentum in the first two-plus months of his campaign. His strategy of investing time, effort, and money into New Hampshire is also in flux — he's placing eighth in the Granite State.

National polling average among Republican voters: 1.5% (11th)
Iowa: 1.3% (11th)
New Hampshire: 3% (T-8th)
South Carolina 1.7% (11th)

10. Rand Paul, US senator from Kentucky

Paul is the unconventional candidate of the Republican field. But he has so far been unable to latch on and break through as a clear, top-tier candidate. And his problems have only been exacerbated over the past several weeks.

Two of his political allies were indicted in a campaign finance fraud scheme. And Paul has been plunging in polls both before and after the first Republican debate, in which he did nothing to help his cause. 

He needs a strong performance Wednesday night.

National polling average among Republican voters: 3.3% (T-7th)
Iowa: 3.7% (T-8th)
New Hampshire: 5% (7th)
South Carolina: 2.3% (10th)

9. Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor

Huckabee has had quite the last week, advancing his cause with religious and more conservative Republican voters byappearing alongside Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who had been jailed for her refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

But he has been unable to break through in the polls, and a key part of his early-state strategy isn't panning out like he might have expected. He's polling just eighth in Iowa, a state where he won the caucus in 2008.

National polling average among Republican voters: 4.5% (6th)
Iowa: 3.7% (T-8th)
New Hampshire: 1.3% (11th)
South Carolina: 3% (9th)