The 2012 New Hampshire Republican primary election will be a major factor in the Republican primary race going forward, and some Republican presidential candidates are looking towards moving into states with later primary elections already.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign received a boost in support for the North Carolina Republican primary election in May after winning the Guilford County Republican Party straw poll Monday, WFMY/CBS News reports.
Mr. Gingrich received 27 of the 76 votes cast, trailed by former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum with 20 and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 19 votes.
“Right now for North Carolinians, they’re watching New Hampshire to see who’s going to be the frontrunner and that’s where the attention will turn,” said Michael Picarelli, the Executive Director of the Guilford County Republican Party. “Now we’re getting down to who are the frontrunners. So now all eyes are going to be on those candidates that we’re going to start paying attention to the issues and some of their past offices that they have held.”
Although the polling sample was considerably low, Mr. Gingrich’s victory is an indication of his regional popularity regarding all of the upcoming Republican primary elections, including Tuesday’s New Hampshire Republican primary election.
The former House speaker is not as popular in New Hampshire as he is in the southern states that have upcoming Republican primary elections. The latest Public Polling Policy poll of New Hampshire voters released Sunday shows Mr. Gingrich garnering 12 percent of the votes in fourth place behind former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.
In contrast, the latest Rasmussen Reports poll of South Carolina voters shows Mr. Gingrich with 18 percent of the votes in third place behind Mr. Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Additionally, the latest Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters shows Mr. Gingrich with 24 percent of the votes, trailing Mr. Romney there as well.
The former House speaker will make appearances at polling places throughout New Hampshire Tuesday in hopes of bolstering some last minute support for himself in the Granite state.
