Newt Gingrich Crushing GOP Field in Florida

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is crushing his Republican presidential primary rivals in Florida according to an InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research poll taken for the Florida Times-Union and released on Wednesday. Noted pollster and pundit Matt Towery, the CEO of InsiderAdvantage, had been a Gingrich staffer back in the 1990s but is currently unaffiliated with the former congressional leader or any of the other candidates.

Gingrich tops the poll with 41 percent, followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts who takes second with 17 percent. Romney took second behind John McCain in the 2008 Florida primary, winning 31 percent and carrying 18 counties. Businessman Herman Cain, who won the Republican Party of Floridas Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando back in September, stands in third with 13 percent.

The rest of the field follows in single digits. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas takes fourth with 7 percent, followed by another Republican from the Lone Star State -- U.S. Rep. Ron Paul with 4 percent. Paul also ran in the 2008 primary, finishing in fifth place with less than 3.25 percent of the vote. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota stands in sixth place with 3 percent, followed by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 1 percent. Three percent back other candidates, while 11 percent of those surveyed have no opinion.

The poll of 513 likely Republican primary voters was taken Nov. 28 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.