The last Des Moines Register poll before Tuesday’s Iowa caucus shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leading Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul by just percentage points.
The poll, which was released late Saturday, finds Mr. Romney leading Mr. Paul 24 to 22 percent. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is in third place with 15 percent support.
Pollsters cautioned reading too much into the results, noting the ever-changing nature of the 2012 campaign.
“[T]he four-day results don’t reflect just how quickly momentum is shifting in a race that has remained highly fluid for months. If the final two days of polling are considered separately, Santorum rises to second place, with 21 percent, pushing Paul to third, at 18 percent. Romney remains the same, at 24 percent,” said the Des Moines Register.
The poll comes just three days before voters are slated to cast their vote in favor of one of the Republican candidates for president. Saturday’s poll was widely watched in that it is just the fourth poll released by the influential newspaper, and the last one to take place before Tuesday’s caucus.
The poll results are likely a major boost for Mr. Romney, who has avoided campaigning in the state in recent months. Mr. Romney, who spent much of Saturday campaigning in New Hampshire, has increased his profile in Iowa in recent days, a move that could provide him with the necessary support for a victory on Tuesday.
For Mr. Paul, the poll results are the latest indication that his campaign remains well within reach of victory in Iowa. The Texas Congressman has sought to address recent criticism related to series of controversial newsletters released under his name nearly ten years ago. The Paul campaign announced later Friday that Mr. Paul would return to Texas over the weekend, leaving the campaign trail until Monday.
Selzer & Co. of Des Moines conducted the poll of 602 likely Republican caucusgoers, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Three hundred and two likely caucusgoers were interviewed, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points, according to the polling company.
