A poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, unveiled on Wednesday, showed that former Gov. Mitt Romney was leading the field of Republican presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire -- and that U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a favorite of the tea party movement, was building momentum.
Romney topped the poll with 25 percent with Bachmann, who had a solid June when she announced her presidential bid and performed impressively in a debate with the other Republican hopefuls in New Hampshire, in second with 18 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has left the door open to running, took third with 11 percent followed by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 9 percent. Conservative business leader Herman Cain and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is weighing entering the race, tied for fifth with 7 percent followed by two former governors -- Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Hunstman of Utah -- with 6 percent each. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia garnered 4 percent.
When Palin was taken out of the mix, Romney continued to hold a 7-point lead over Bachmann. He took 28 percent while she followed with 21 percent. The two Texans, Paul and Perry, tied for third with 9 percent, followed by Cain and Huntsman knotted up in fifth with 7 percent each. Pawlenty still had 6 percent and Gingrich continued to garner 4 percent.
It will be difficult for Romney to win the nomination without New Hampshire, said Dean Debnam, the president of PPP. Romney has the advantage, but his small lead in friendly territory suggests that his front-runner status is vulnerable.
The poll of 341 New Hampshire Republican voters was taken between June 30-July 2 and on July 5. It had a margin of error of +/- 5.3 percent.
The PPP poll differed with another poll of New Hampshire Republicans taken earlier in the week, which showed much more support for Romney and much less for Palin.
Romney topped and Bachmann came in second in the Granite State Poll, which is sponsored by WMUR-TV and conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which was released on Tuesday. It had Romney taking 35 percent with Bachmann in second with 12 percent. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is leaving the door open for running in 2012, tied with Paul for third with 7 percent. Perry placed fifth with 4 percent while Palin and Pawlenty tied for sixth with 3 percent each. Huntsman and Cain tied for eighth followed by Gingrich with 1 percent of the vote. Three other candidates -- former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico and former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana -- garnered less than 1 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
