Mitt Romney Brushes Past Michele Bachmann to Lead in Iowa

A poll released on Wednesday found that former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts is leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates in Iowa, home of the first caucus. With 21 percent, Romney led the American Research Group poll of likely caucus voters. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the Iowa Republican straw poll last month, placed second with 15 percent, followed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 14 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Iowa, who placed a strong second in the Iowa straw poll, came in fourth with 12 percent.

The rest of the field trailed in single digits. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich took fifth place with 8 percent. Businessman Herman Cain came in sixth place with 6 percent, followed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has not entered the race, with 4 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania took 2 percent, followed by two former governors -- Jon Huntsman of Utah and Buddy Roemer of Louisiana -- who were knotted up at 1 percent. Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico took less than 1 percent.

In a poll released by American Research Group in July, Bachmann led with 21 percent followed by Romney in second with 18 percent, Paul in third with 14 percent and Palin with 11 percent.

The September poll of 600 likely Iowa Republican caucus voters was taken from Sept. 22-27 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.