Mitt Romney Takes Narrow Lead in Iowa and New Hampshire GOP Polls 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 17, 2007
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The focus of the 2008 presidential debate within the Republican Party in the last few weeks has been on Rudy Giuliani and his pro-abortion position. But while the former New York mayor retains his lead in the polls nationally, Mitt Romney has moved up in two new surveys to lead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Those polls may be just as important, if not moreso, than the national surveys because those two states are the sites of the first primary battles.
Romney victories in Iowa and New Hampshire would likely zap the strength of Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain, and could pave the way to his nomination.
The poll, conducted by the respected Zogby polling firm, fins that Romney has pushed from a distant third place into a small lead in Iowa, the continuation of progress he has shown since the first of the year in the Hawkeye state.
The Zogby poll shows McCain has remained firm while Giuliani has slid substantially because of the focus on his pro-abortion stance.
The May 15 poll finds Romney in the lead with 19 percent, and McCain and Giuliani tied at 18 percent each.
Romney rose from 11 percent in a March poll and 5 percent in January, Giuliani dropped from 25 percent in March and 19 percent in January and McCain held steady at 17 percent in January and 19 percent in March.
The new Zogby poll found Fred Thompson rising to 9 percent, Tommy Thompson with 4 percent, and Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo and Mike Huckabee at 2-3 percent each.
Meanwhile, the new New Hampshire Zogby poll conducted Tuesday and Wednesday shows Romney leading the GOP field with 35%, followed by John McCain and Rudy Giuliani tied for second with 19% apiece.
Fred Thompson comes in third with 6% and the rest of the field at 3% or less.
Romney’s gains appear to have come at the expense of McCain. An early April poll from Zogby had shown Romney and McCain tied at 25%, with Giuliani at 19%, and a larger field of undecideds.
On the Democratic side in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton’s lead over Barack Obama narrowed sharply.
In the April survey, she led him 29%-23% and in the new poll, the former First Lady polls 28% with Obama at 26%.
John Edwards, who had pulled 23% in April, has dropped to 15% in the current poll. The poll also has good news for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has broken away from the also-ran pack and is now polling 10%, up from 2% in the previous poll.
