Just four days before the nation's first big-state presidential primary, former Massachusetts Gov.
Mitt Romney opens up a 38 - 29 percent lead over former House Speaker Newt Gingrich among
Republican likely voters in Florida, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Only 6 percent are undecided, but 32 percent say they might change their mind by Tuesday.
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This compares to results of a January 25 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University, showing Romney with 36 percent of likely primary voters to Gingrich's 34
percent. Wednesday's survey showed Gingrich ahead 40 - 34 percent among voters surveyed
after the South Carolina primary.
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In today's survey, men back Romney 36 - 29 percent, a shift from January 25, when men
backed Gingrich 37 - 33 percent. Romney leads 40 - 30 percent among women, virtually
unchanged.
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Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul has 14 percent of likely primary voters today, with 12 percent
for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
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Romney gets a 61 - 28 percent favorability rating from likely primary voters, compared to
50 - 38 percent favorable for Gingrich, 53 - 19 percent favorable for Santorum and a negative 35
- 42 percent for Paul.
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"Speaker Newt Gingrich's momentum from his South Carolina victory appears to have
stalled and Gov. Mitt Romney seems to be pulling away in Florida," said Peter A. Brown,
assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Romney also has a better
favorability rating from likely primary voters, which supports his lead in the horse race. Of
course, with four days before Election Day, there is time for another reversal. Three in 10 voters
say they might change their mind."
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"With the debates now over, Gingrich will need some other way to reverse the tide that
appears to be going against him," Brown added.
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| From January 24 - 26, Quinnipiac University surveyed 580 Republican likely primary
voters with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and
cell phones.
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