Ben Carson country

1. Ben Carson country

2. A sign which reads "Run Ben Run" in support of presidential candidate Ben Carson is seen next to a countryside road in Upperco Maryland November 5, 2015. For many who knew Ben Carson in Baltimore, his U.S. presidential candidacy comes as a surprise. Over more than three decades as a Baltimore resident ending in 2013, Carson - now a front-runner in the race for the Republican Party nomination - rarely spoke about his political views. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

3. A man crosses a street in front of the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland November 4, 2015. An unassailable local hero, a Johns Hopkins Hospital neurosurgeon, Carson put his wealth to use helping the poor. He established a scholarship program for school children and hosted a banquet each year to honor its recipients. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

4. An abandoned building is seen near the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland November 5, 2015. For American voters disdainful of gridlock in Washington, Carson's apolitical background has been a breath of fresh air, especially given his rags-to-riches success story, and it may explain why he has vaulted to the top of opinion polls. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

5. A man walks by a Popeyes restaurant a cross the street from the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland November 4, 2015. Running neck-and-neck with real estate mogul Donald Trump, Carson last week was the subject of media reports challenging the veracity of some of his recollections about his past. Politico on Friday raised questions about his account of an offer to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

6. A holy Bible Book is seen at the Spencerville Seventh Day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland November 4, 2015. Carson moved to Baltimore in 1977 to begin his residency at Johns Hopkins, and aside from a year at a hospital in Perth, Australia, remained in the area until he retired in 2013. He lives now in Florida. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

7. A traffic sign for Baltimore is seen on a highway near Baltimore, Maryland November 5, 2015. Baltimore has been known for years for its violent crime, minorities, economic equality and history of segregation. There, friends say Carson met near-constant public adulation with humility and good humor. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

8. The John Hopkins Hospital is seen at a area near the downtown of Baltimore, Maryland November 4, 2015. Reginald Davis, a neurosurgeon who trained with Carson and became one of his closest friends, could not recall Carson discussing politics over dinners their families shared or during the many games of pool the two played at Carson's home. "I worry that the political process is not his environment," Davis said. He declined to say whether he planned to vote for Carson and said it was unsettling to see his friend in the harsh glare of the national spotlight. "I'm blown away by his notoriety," Davis said. "I still see my friend. I don't see the future leader of the world - yet." REUTERS/Carlos Barria

9. The Spencerville Seventh Day Adventist Church is seen in Silver Spring, Maryland November 4, 2015. A pastor at the Seventh-day Adventist church where Carson, his wife, Candy, and their three children were members said any discussion of politics would have gone against the church's culture. He said worshipers often eschew political affiliation even as they engage with issues. "Our founders counseled us very strongly that with voice and pen we must stand for the issues," said Chad Stuart, the head pastor at Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church. For years Carson taught a Bible study class there each Saturday. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

10. Cars are seen waiting on traffic as they enter Baltimore, Maryland November 5, 2015. Outside work, the Carsons were fixtures on the local charity circuit and in 1996 founded the Carson Scholars Fund, which each year gives $1,000 grants to students in grades 1-12 who display exceptional academic performance and a commitment to community service. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

11. An man sits on a bench near the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland November 5, 2015. On the campaign trail, some of Carson�s statements have stirred controversy, including his comment that far fewer Jews would have died in the Holocaust if they had been armed. Espousing conservative views, he has described homosexuality as a choice. He has said he is more deeply moved by the horror of taking away individual gun rights than by the victims of shootings. Carson has also fielded questions about a speech he made 17 years ago in which he said he believed the pyramids in Egypt were built not as tombs but as granaries. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

12. A man walks by the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland November 4, 2015. Paul Gardner of Baltimore, a blogger who established himself as a political commentator via his Twitter feed, said Carson's presidential campaign and his statements about abortion, gay rights and religion had left him feeling "grossed out." But as a child, Gardner said, he and his classmates looked up to Carson. "He was this amazing role model that people could point to, a smart, handsome black surgeon," Gardner said, adding that he remembered school classmates citing Carson on assignments asking them to lay out their career goals. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

13. A countryside road is seen during a hazy day in Upperco Maryland November 5, 2015. Grant Grasmick, a local lumber magnate who met Carson 16 years ago while both were doing charity work, said in comments to Reuters after the Politico story appeared: "I know who the man is, I know he's genuine. "People want to take shots and bring good people down. It�s very disturbing to me." REUTERS/Carlos Barria