Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- A second poll of Republicans in Iowa finds Mike Huckabee in the lead and more evidence that he's overtaken Mitt Romney. However, political observers wonder whether Huckabee can put together the campaign apparatus and fund-raising effort needed to win the GOP nomination, even if the Midwestern state supports him next month.

A Des Moines Register poll shows Huckabee leading among likely Republican caucus-goers with 29 percent and Romney close behind at 24 percent.

Pro-abortion ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani come in third with 13 percent and pro-life former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee received 9 percent in the survey.

A poll released late last week by Rasmussen Reports found the former Arkansas governor with 28% of the vote and the former Massachusetts governor with 25 percent. Giuliani received 12 percent and Thompson 11 percent.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen,” Huckabee told the New York Times over the weekend about the polls. “It’s everything we’ve been working for.”

Now the question is: Can Huckabee hold the lead?

That will be tough as Romney and other candidates step up their attacks on the new Iowa front-runner and press their financial and organizational advantages.

Financial records show Huckabee had just $651,000 in the bank as of October 1 while Giuliani had $16.6 million and Romney $9.2 million. Thompson and Sen. John McCain enjoyed fund-raising leads over Huckabee as well.

Huckabee's camp only opened their first full-time office in New Hampshire last month and his campaign announced on Friday that it may not have the funds for a direct-mail campaign in Iowa.

He has yet to purchase television or radio advertising there or in South Carolina or Florida. He's only now hiring campaign staff in the leading primary states whereas most of the candidates have had turnout operations in place for months.

Money also buys a campaign organization that can respond to attacks, and when other candidates are spending thousands, even millions, on ads blasting his record Huckabee may not be able to respond.