Poll: Romney Has Biggest Lead to Date
Published at(WASHINGTON) — For the last few months, Mitt Romney’s foes have painted the former Massachusetts governor as the “25 percent man:” a front-runner who just couldn’t attract more than 25 percent of the GOP vote, even as his opponents have risen and fallen spectacularly.
The latest Gallup tracking poll, however, finds Romney breaking that 25-percent ceiling. He’s also the only candidate trending upward; all of the other GOP candidates are either slipping down or staying flat.
In tracking taken from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11 (most calls were done before his New Hampshire win), Romney is now taking 34 percent of the GOP vote — a 10-point increase since the end of December.
Rick Santorum is at 15 percent (a three-point drop from his high of 18 percent post-Iowa).
Gingrich is at 14 percent (a 23-point drop from his high of 37 percent in early December).
Paul is at 13 percent. He’s held steady at 12 percent to 13 percent since mid-December. His top-three finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire have not given him any sort of a boost.
ABC’s pollster Gary Langer argues that 25 percent has been a bit oversold. Romney has received 30 percent twice in ABC News/Washington Post polls — first in July, again last month.
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