Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney took second place in the latest poll out of Iowa Tuesday, reaffirming his position as a front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
The latest Public Policy poll shows Mr. Romney trailing former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee by eleven percentage points. Mr. Huckabee led the poll with 27 percent support, while Mr. Romney trailed with 16 percent. New York real estate tycoon Donald Trump received 15 percent support.
Mr. Romney emerged as the second choice for Iowa Republicans in the poll, even as nearly two-thirds of respondents said they would not consider voting for a candidate who supported a state-level universal health care law. Mr. Romney oversaw the implementation of Massachusetts’ health care system while serving as governor.
The poll finds Mr. Romney gains significant support in the event Mr. Huckabee does not enter the race. With Mr. Huckabee sitting out of the race, Mr. Romney received 25 percent of the vote. If former Alaska governor Sarah Palin joins Mr. Huckabee in not entering the race, Mr. Romney’s support hits 28 percent.
The poll follows in the wake of Mr. Romney announcing his intention to form a presidential exploratory committee. Mr. Huckabee has yet to announce his intention, saying he will wait until late summer before reaching a decision.
