Since entering the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination in June, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has surged in national polls and surveys of key states -- and a new poll has her leading the pack in Iowa, home of the first caucus. Previous polls had shown Romney, who placed second in the caucus when he ran in 2008, ahead of the field in Iowa.
A new poll unveiled on Sunday, commissioned by TheIowaRepublican.com and taken by Voter/Consumer Research, reveals that Bachmann has moved ahead of former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in the Hawkeye State.
The poll has Bachmann with 25 percent, followed by Romney with 21 percent. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota tied with businessman Herman Cain for third with 9 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas placed fifth with 6 percent. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia took sixth with 4 percent, followed by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 2 percent and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman with 1 percent.
Besides besting the field, the poll has other good news for Bachmann -- she has the highest approval ratings of any of the candidates.
The Minnesota congresswoman, who has played up her Iowa roots, garnered 76 percent favorability while only 11 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable view of her. Romney was seen as favorable by 66 percent, while 25 percent saw him as unfavorable. While 60 percent viewed Pawlenty as favorable, 12 percent viewed him as unfavorable. Cain, like Bachmann a favorite of the tea party movement, was seen as favorable by 54 percent while 12 percent saw him as unfavorable. Paul, who is making his second bid for the Republican nomination, garnered lower scores, with 49 percent expressing a favorable opinion of him and 37 percent seeing him as unfavorable. Santorum was seen as favorable by 45 percent and unfavorable by 13 percent.
Two of the candidates were upside down in Iowa. Huntsman, who has expressed little interest in campaigning in Iowa, remains largely unknown, with 60 percent of voters in the dark about him. Only 14 percent of those surveyed have a favorable view of him, while 26 percent have an unfavorable view. With his long career on the national stage and his recent campaign missteps, Gingrich was not so fortunate, with more than half --52 percent --of Iowa Republicans holding an unfavorable view of him. Some 38 percent have a favorable view of him.
The poll of 500 likely voters in the Iowa Republican caucus was taken between June 26-30 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent. Voter/Consumer Research was founded by Dr. Jan van Lohuizen who was the primary pollster for George W. Bush.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
