Q-Poll: Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich Neck and Neck in Florida

A poll of likely primary voters released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday morning finds that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has caught Republican presidential primary rival former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in Florida.

"Florida is essentially a dead heat and a two-man race between Gov. Mitt Romney and Speaker Newt Gingrich entering the last week of the campaign," said Peter Brown, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement on Wednesday.

Romney takes 36 percent while the former congressional leader garners 34 percent -- but Gingrich leads with 40 percent to Romneys 34 percent among voters polled after his win in the South Carolina primary on Saturday. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania takes third with 13 percent, followed by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 10 percent. Seven percent of those surveyed remain undecided. Thirty-eight percent of the total said they could change their mind before Tuesdays primary.

"Gingrich's South Carolina victory clearly gives him a boost in Florida, Brown said. The question is whether there is more of that to come, or whether any bump from a previous victory will dissipate as happened to Rick Santorum in New Hampshire after winning Iowa and Romney in South Carolina after taking New Hampshire.

The poll of 601 likely Florida Republican primary voters was taken Jan. 19 through Jan. 23 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.