Following his victories in the Iowa caucus and in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts is the overwhelming favorite to win the Florida primary on Jan. 31, according to a poll released on Thursday from Rasmussen Reports.
Romney, who placed second in the Sunshine State in the 2008 primary, carrying 31 percent of the vote and winning 18 counties, leads the GOP presidential pack in Florida with 41 percent of the survey of likely primary voters. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich stands in second place with 19 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who lost out to Romney in Iowa by eight votes, takes third with 15 percent.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who placed third in Iowa and second in New Hampshire, stands in fourth place with 9 percent. Back in the 2008 primary, Paul took less than 3.25 percent of the vote in Florida. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah, who had based his campaign in Orlando during the summer of 2011 before moving it to New Hampshire, is in fifth place with 5 percent. Gov. Rick Perry lags with 2 percent. Eight percent of those surveyed remain undecided.
A majority of those surveyed -- 51 percent -- say they are certain of whom they will support in the primary, but a large segment -- 41 percent -- are still open to changing their minds. Romneys rivals are currently trying to trip the front-runner up in South Carolina, which will hold its primary Jan. 21.
The poll of 750 likely Florida Republican primary voters was taken Jan. 11 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.
The Republican candidates are increasingly showing signs of getting more active in Florida. Romney and Gingrich will be in the Sunshine State this week while Santorum is scheduling appearances later in the month.
The candidates are also relying more on surrogates in the Sunshine State. For example, on Thursday former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, one of Gingrichs chief supporters in the state, sent out an email to supporters praising his candidate and attacking Romney on health care.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
