Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee Lead Republican Race Two Days Before Iowa Vote

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 1, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee Lead Republican Race Two Days Before Iowa Vote Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 1,
2008

Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) — With just two days before Iowa Republicans head to the state’s caucus vote, new polls show Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee continue to lead the race there. The two former governors continue to lead the rest of the GOP field with an average of nearly 30 percent in the six most recent polls.

A new Des Moines register survey released on Tuesday showed Huckabee with the backing of 3 percent of Republicans and Romney in second with 26 percent.

The newspaper had John McCain in third with 13 percent and Fred Thompson and Ron Paul tied for fourth at nine percent apiece.

Another new poll from Reuters/Zogby found Huckabee first with 29 percent, Romney at 25, McCain with 12 and Thompson with 10. Yet a third poll released Tuesday by CNN had Romney ahead with 31, Huckabee at 28, Thompson with 13 and McCain with 10.

The surveys show a two-man race for the top spot between the two former governors, another two-man race for third place and Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani battling for the fifth position in Iowa.

Pro-life candidates Duncan Hunter, a California congressman, and former ambassador Alan Keyes are not factors in the Iowa GOP race, according to the polls.

Other recent polls show about the same percentages with a survey from the Strategic Vision polling firm putting the race at 29 to 27 percent with Huckabee ahead and a Quad City Times poll showing Huckabee leading 34 to 27 percent.

However, surveys the American Research Group and Mason Dixon conducted have Romney out front ahead of Huckabee at 32 to 23 percent and 27 to 23 percent respectively.

Averaging the six recent surveys, McCain holds third place with the backing of about 12 percent of Republicans and Thompson has fourth place to himself with almost 11 percent of the vote.

Though he placed fourth in the Register poll, Paul received no more than eight percent of the vote in any of the five other recent surveys. Rudy Giuliani, who has largely given up competing in Iowa, has an average of just six percent in the surveys.

The voting results in Iowa could have a significant impact on what happens in New Hampshire and early primary voting states that follow.

Mitt Romney and John McCain poll the best in New Hampshire with an average of five recent surveys there showing Romney leading with the support of about 31 percent of Republicans and McCain having the support of about 26 percent.

Giuliani has the backing of about 13 percent, and Huckabee could see his 11 percent standing rise if he has a strong Iowa showing. Paul and Thompson trail the field in the Granite State.