A new poll of the Iowa caucuses is the latest in a string of polls that confirms Newt Gingrich’s momentum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Also notable is Ron Paul’s strong showing in the poll.
The poll of Iowa, released by Bloomberg News and conducted by the Iowa firm Selzer & Co., shows a tight race, with the top four candidates in a statistical dead heat. Herman Cain leads with 20%, Ron Paul is in second with 19%, and Mitt Romney is in third with 18%.
Gingrich, technically in 4th place with 17% of the vote, is actually only three points out of the lead — within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error. By comparison, Gingrich came in fifth place in Selzer & Co.’s previous poll of the state, but with only 7% of the vote — 16 points out of first place.
In the poll released Tuesday, Rick Perry garners 7% of the vote, Michele Bachmann 5%, Rick Santorum 3%, and Jon Huntsman 1%.
