Rick Perry Leads the GOP 2012 Field in Iowa

A poll unveiled on Tuesday from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, found Gov. Rick Perry of Texas leading the Republican pack in Iowa, home of the first caucus.

Perry topped the poll with 22 percent followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 19 percent. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the Iowa straw poll in Ames earlier in the month, placed third with 18 percent followed by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who placed second in Ames, with 16 percent.

The rest of the field trailed in single digits. Businessman Herman Cain garnered 7 percent followed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania who were tied with 5 percent. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah took 3 percent.

When former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has not entered the race, was added to the mix, the leaders were not severely impacted. Perry led with 21 percent followed by Romney with 18 percent, Bachmann with 15 percent and Paul in fourth with 12 percent. Palin took fifth place with 10 percent.

The poll of 317 usual Iowa Republican primary voters was taken from Aug. 19-21 and had a margin of error of +/- 5.5 percent.