Although Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is in last place in the Sunshine State, the latest Gallup Tracking poll of registered Republican voters reveals that the Texas congressman still has momentum on the national level. On the other hand, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney should be concerned about his 3 point decline even though he has defeated former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in five out of the six Florida polls featured by Real Clear Politics in the last two days.
Gallup Tracking compiles a five-day rolling average of each candidate’s support among registered Republican voters. Mr. Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s five-day rolling average climbed 1 percentage point since Wednesday’s Gallup Tracking poll. However, Mr. Gingrich’s five-day rolling average has not moved since Wednesday.
Mr. Paul achieved his second highest five-day rolling average Thursday with 13 percent of the votes. During the survey dates of January 16 to January 20th, Mr. Paul garnered his highest five-day rolling average with 14 percent of the votes.
Mr. Santorum, the former Air Force surgeon’s chief competitor at this point in the race, saw his five-day rolling average skyrocket after winning the Iowa Caucuses on January 3rd. At the height of his popularity, Mr. Santorum had 18 percent of the votes. Shortly after his come-from-behind victory in the Iowa Caucuses, Mr. Santorum pulled even with Mr. Paul.
With everybody focused on the Florida Republican presidential primary, Mr. Paul and Mr. Santorum have turned their attention to the caucus states. Mr. Santorum is headed back to Pennsylvania to release his tax returns and Mr. Paul is focused on the caucus states of Minnesota, Nevada and Maine.
Although Mr. Paul trailed Mr. Romney, Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum in Public Policy Polling’s latest poll of likely voters in the Minnesota caucuses, his campaign is hitting the Gopher State with a major ad campaign.
“Ours is the only campaign with the resources, organization, and stamina to defeat establishment candidate Mitt Romney in a 50-state race,” Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton said in a press release concerning ad buys in Nevada and Minnesota.
