Newt Gingrich Leads the GOP Field in South Carolina

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina, which will hold its primary after Iowa and New Hampshire have their say. Gingrich leads a Winthrop University poll of likely Republican primary voters, unveiled on Tuesday, with 38 percent. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts places second with 22 percent.

The rest of the field lags in single digits. Texas Gov. Rick Perry takes third with 9 percent, followed by businessman Herman Cain, who dropped out of the race on Saturday, with 7 percent. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota takes fifth with 5 percent, followed by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 4 percent, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 3 percent and former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah with 1 percent.

The poll of likely Republican primary voters, part of a total sample of 1,073 registered voters, was taken Nov. 27-Dec. 4 and had a margin of error of +/- 5.38 percent.