Rick Perry Beats Out Bachmann, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul in Iowa

A poll released by Rasmussen Reports on Labor Day found that Texas Gov. Rick Perry was leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates in Iowa, home of the first 2012 caucus.

Perry topped the survey of likely caucus voters with 29 percent. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the Iowa Republican straw poll held in Ames last month, placed second with 18 percent. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts placed third with 17 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who finished a strong second behind Bachmann in Ames, took fourth with 14 percent.

The rest of the field trailed in single digits. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania tied businessman Herman Cain for fifth with 4 percent. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah took seventh with 3 percent, followed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia with 2 percent.

The poll of 862 likely Iowa Republican caucus voters was taken on Aug. 31 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.