Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is leading big in nine southern states even as it remains unclear whether the Republican will enter the 2012 presidential campaign.
Mr. Huckabee, who is considering a run for president in 2012, is leading every major potential Republican presidential candidate in a series of polls focused on states in the South.
Twenty-two percent of probable Republican voters in the poll picked the former Arkansas governor. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in second, with 13 percent.
“It’s no secret that Governor Huckabee is seriously considering a run for president in 2012,” said Mr. Huckabee’s Political Action Committee executive director.
The former Arkansas governor has made national headlines in recent days for a comment made during a radio show interview. Mr. Huckabee erroneously referred to President Obama’s birth place as Kenya rather than Hawaii, where Mr. Obama was actually born.
The poll is the latest showing the former governor leading. Mr. Huckabee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney are largely seen as the leading potential candidates for 2012.
The results comes just days ahead of an expected announcement from former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The Georgia Republican, who will likely depend on a high level of support in the South, is likely the biggest loser from the poll results.
