By Grant Bosse
MANCHESTER — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is heading into next week's New Hampshire presidential primary with a commanding lead over his GOP challengers, according to a new poll of Granite State voters.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania are clustered tightly in the teens, fighting for second place in Tuesday’s presidential primary, the nation’s first presidential primary. Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich of Georgia trails the other contenders at 9 percent.
Following Romney’s 37 percent ranking in the polls, Paul came in at 19 percent, while Huntsman grabbed 16 percent, Santorum 14 percent and Gingrich at 9 percent.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who suspended his campaign following a fifth-place finish in this week's Iowa caucuses, received less than 1 percent in the poll. Perry has said he plans to compete in South Carolina’s primary on Jan. 21.
Less than 1 percent of voters who were polled chose some other candidate in New Hampshire’s primary, while 4 percent said they were not sure whom they would support.
The telephone survey of 865 likely GOP primary voters was conducted Wednesday by Pulse Opinion Research LLC, an independent public opinion research firm that used automated polling methodology and procedures licensed from Rasmussen Reports LLC. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, with a 95 percent level of confidence.
Romney is viewed most favorably by New Hampshire primary voters who participated in the poll, with 66 percent having a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the former Massachusetts governor, according to poll results. Thirty-three percent of those polled said they had a very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable opinion.
Santorum, who came within just eight votes of Romney in Iowa, has a favorability rating of 57 percent. Thirty-eight percent of those polled said they had a very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable opinion of him
Huntsman, who skipped Iowa entirely to focus his national campaign on New Hampshire, came in with a 54 percent favorability rating and 40 percent unfavorable.
"Gov. Huntsman has been working harder than any other candidate in this state, spreading his message of eliminating our economic deficit and restoring trust in Washington," Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said Friday. "We're pleased to have moved from the back of the pack into third and are carrying that momentum into Election Day."
The other three candidates included in the poll had net negative favorable ratings:
- Paul came in with 52 percent unfavorable and 45 percent favorable.
- Gingrich was at 60 percent unfavorable and 37 percent favorable.
- Perry was at 68 percent unfavorable and 29 percent favorable.
Watchdog.org will publish more detailed findings from New Hampshire voters next week, including potential general election matchups in New Hampshire’s 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts, and primary contests in the Republican and Democratic races for governor.
“Watchdog.org and the Franklin Center's network of reporters in more than 40 states will continue to follow the breaking news from the GOP primaries as well as all of the 2012 election races around the country," said Jason Stverak, president of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which commissioned the poll.
