Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum leads Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul by 1 percentage point in the RCP average of Florida polls. According to Real Clear Politics, Mr. Santorum has garnered an RCP average of 11 percentage points among likely voters in the Florida Republican primary. Mr. Paul, on the other hand, has pulled in an RCP average of 10 percentage points among likely voters in the Sunshine State.
Mr. Santorum defeated Mr. Paul in two out of the three polls included in the RCP average. However, Mr. Paul bested Mr. Santorum by 2 percentage points in an Insider Advantage poll of likely voters in the Sunshine State primary.
The RCP average of Florida polls also reveals that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is losing ground to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in Florida. Mr. Romney had a 16 percentage point advantage over Mr. Gingrich in a pre-South Carolina Republican primary poll of Florida voters, but sits approximately 1 percentage point behind the Georgia Republican in the RCP average of Florida polls.
Mr. Paul’s struggle to gain support in Florida is likely due to his decision to skip Florida and concentrate on the upcoming caucus states instead. Although Mr. Paul’s name will appear on the Florida Republican primary ballot, the Texas congressman wants to pursue delegates in states like Nevada and Minnesota.
“We will be going to the caucus states, and we will be promoting the whole idea of getting more delegates, because that’s the name of the game,” Mr. Paul told supporters after the South Carolina Republican primary.
The RCP average of Florida polls includes recent Insider Advantage, Rasmussen Reports and Public Policy Polling polls. The PPP poll was conducted before the South Carolina Republican primary and the Rasmussen Reports and Insider Advantage were conducted the day after the Palmetto State election.
