Mitt Romney, Round Three? A poll released this week in a key presidential primary state found that the 2012 Republican nominee is still the preferred 2016 choice among a crucial cohort of voters.
The Purple Strategies poll placed Romney as the 2016 front-runner for the Republican nomination in New Hampshire with 25 percent of the vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) followed at 18 percent, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ranked third at 17 percent.
Romney has emphatically stated that he won’t run for president again in 2016. But that hasn’t stopped the speculation. “You know what a lot of them say to me? I think we need Mitt back,” a GOP operative told BuzzFeed earlier this month of some top Republican donors.
Among the Democratic field, Hillary Clinton sat comfortably in the lead with 68 percent of the vote. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was the only other candidate who earned more than a 10 percent share at 13 percent.
The poll, conducted from Jan. 21 to 23, surveyed 1,052 likely New Hampshire voters.
