Race for South Carolina tightening as Gingrich cuts into Romney’s lead
Newt Gingrich is closing in on front runner Mitt Romney in South Carolina. (IowaPolitics.com, Flickr)
By MATTHEW JAFFE
Channel: Politics
CHARLESTON, SC –- Only three days before South Carolina voters head to the polls for Saturday’s Republican primary, Mitt Romney’s lead at the top is dwindling.
According to a new CNN/TIME/ORC poll released ahead of Thursday’s debate in North Charleston, Romney leads Newt Gingrich 33 percent to 23 percent among registered Republicans likely to vote. Rick Santorum, who lost the Iowa caucuses to Romney by only eight votes, sits in third at 16 percent, followed by Ron Paul at 13 percent and Rick Perry at six percent.
The poll was conducted Jan. 13-17, before Gingrich’s strong performance in Monday’s Myrtle Beach debate and Romney’s revelation that he pays a 15 percent tax rate, a lower rate than many middle-income taxpayers.
The results indicate a tightening race in the Palmetto State.
In early January Romney held a commanding 37 percent to 19 percent lead over Santorum, with Gingrich at 18 percent, but the former House Speaker is now making a late surge.
A victory by Romney would virtually lock up the GOP primary for Romney, as Gingrich himself has acknowledged.
In recent days, Gingrich has even called for Santorum and Perry to drop out. If both candidates did in fact drop out –- something that will certainly not happen before Saturday’s primary -– Gingrich would stand a much better shot of beating Romney. The Romney campaign has acknowledged that its margin over Gingrich has narrowed; earlier Wednesday Romney surrogates held a conference call that attempted to link Gingrich to President Obama.
The final days of the campaign should not lack drama, 35 percent of likely GOP primary voters say they might change their mind regarding their preferred candidate.
Despite the close battle for South Carolina, the Romney camp will likely take heart in the latest poll results out of Florida.
The CNN/TIME/ORC poll revealed the former Massachusetts governor with a commanding lead there, up 43 percent to 19 percent over Santorum, with Gingrich in third at 18 percent.
The Florida primary is set for Jan. 31. Wins in South Carolina and Florida would all but secure the GOP nomination for Romney after his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Matthew Jaffe is covering the 2012 campaign for ABC News & Univision.
