by Republican contenders for their party’s nomination for who will run against incumbent President Obama were campaigning in Iowa last week, with Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, edging his way into the lead.
Gingrich the Latest Favorite
The latest polls show that Gingrich has taken the lead in the race with twenty-four percent of registered Republican voters saying they favor Gingrich as their choice for Republican candidate. This is about 8 percent more points in favor as compared to last week’s polls.
Romney Falling Fast
In comparison, the former front runner, Mitt Romney, ex-Massachusetts governor, lost about 6 percentage points since last week, garnering the support of about 22 percent of Republican voters, making him running neck and neck with Gingrich.
Cain Collapsing
The third major contender, Herman Cain, has been falling apart in the polls, dropping about 8 percentage points over the week, pushing him back to third place. Once in first place, his support has dropped by half since late October.
Gingrich is seen as the more conservative Republican candidate as compared to Romney, which is one explanation for his increasing support. Voters view Gingrich as a more idealistic conservative while Romney is viewed as more, and perhaps overly, moderate.
Starting off his talk to a packed “meet and greet” in Jefferson, Iowa, the 68-year-old Gingrich remarked:
“That’s the first time anybody anywhere has introduced me as the leading candidate for president of the United States.”
