(CNN) - A new national poll released Thursday indicates Mitt Romney has expanded his lead over Rick Santorum and now holds an 11 percentage point advantage over the former Pennsylvania senator.
Romney has the backing of 35% of registered Republicans nationwide, while Santorum comes in with 24%, according to results from Gallup's latest daily tracking poll.
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The new poll reflects a reversal in the top two spots from a week ago, when Santorum came in first place with 34% and Romney had 24%.
Romney retook the top spot on Sunday for the first time in 11 days with a narrow two-point margin over Santorum and has since seen rising poll numbers.
The latest poll was conducted Saturday through Wednesday, a time window that includes one day of polling after Romney pulled two much-needed wins in Michigan and Arizona on Tuesday.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comes in third place with 15% in the new survey, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul takes fourth at 11%.
For the ongoing poll, Gallup surveys more than 1,000 registered Republican voters on a daily basis. The poll drops the oldest of five days each day and adds results from the most recent day of polling.
In the latest survey, Gallup questioned 1,171 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents by telephone between February 25 and February 29. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Also see:
Romney stumbles over question about GOP contraception push
GOP spotlights president's 100th fundraiser
From CNN Politics
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"Dag nabbit!! All my preemptive attacks and lies aren't working!! What is WRONG with this country anyways? Now I'm going to have to increase the smoke, enlarge the mirrors and double up on the snake oil potentcy because if I have to face this guy in November, I'd better start calling my church buddies for a job because I'm gonna owe a ton of money after failing to buy this election."
"Kerry's image of an aristocratic snob."
Rmoney's snobbery and flip-floppery make John Kerry look like John Wayne,
both are creepy lying hypocrits . Who want to trample on womens rights and shove religion down our throats. The repo party is for lemings who have no brains and will follow anything told to them by fox news.Obama/Biden 2012 move forward not back to the 18th century
RS's undoing is all those elitists that learned critical thinking skills in college.
I just love my imitators! Just proves I am a celebrity! Party on baby!! We got at least anohter 5-6 TRILLION on the old China Card before they cancel it. Better get those next 20 vacations booked first.
Thank you media, for anointing Mitt Romney and casting every other candidate as a second stringer who doesn't have a chance.
Kerry went to Vietnam. Romney went to Paris and complained recently that the Vietnam War made his time there difficult.
Seriously Repubs, the economy is weak, and the best you can come up with is a holy roller and a vulture capitalist?
Obama himself couldn't pick easier opponents to beat.
And spare me about taxes. Bush cut taxes and waged 2 wars and was the final domino in the housing market. Obama cut taxes rescued us from a Depression.
Next time, pick a social liberal who is a fiscal conservative (you want a war? Fine, raise the taxes for it)
All the wackoland liberals posting their pitiful comments. Well, get ready. Comrade Obama's days in the White House are numbered. Romney will be our next president.
Santorum would have been a lot more fun to watch in the presidential debates with Obama. America could have watched him wither and melt as his hypocricy and fanaticism were exposed. Romney will just bore us to death with his false enthusiasm. He's running for president because he has nothing else to do. He should take up gardening. Maybe he could get those phony jeans dirty for the first time.
Man, Republican voters are fickle. "Oh, this guy is winning now, so THAT'S who I support!"
World's worst vaudeville act.
Do you think Santorum will figure out why he dropped like that in the polls? Listening to him talk, it sure doesnt' sound like it. He still seems to think that it is the media's fault, for only focusing on his social issues. The most interesting things that he says are about social issues. It is what defines him from the crowd. He made it so. What is most amazing is that he still keeps talking about this issue or that issue.
Someone asked me today now that Breitbart is dead do you have anything good to say about him ? My response Andrew Breitbart is dead good.
People say Rom-money has the best chance of beating President Obama. My view is a bit different. I think Rom-money has the best chance of taking us back to the bad-old-days of George W. Bush. Any why would any sane soul want that?
Who is more dangerous? Man that is not an easy question. They are each as wrong as can be for America in their own special way. Sanatorium is slightly less crazy on the economy and Mittens is slightly less crazy on social issues. So I guess it a tie. They are even starting to look alike, have you noticed?
@mannycl -
All the wackoland liberals posting their pitiful comments. Well, get ready. Comrade Obama's days in the White House are numbered. Romney will be our next president.
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So, manny, you're ready to go back to the days of Bush? How weird is that? You'd actually vote for someone who is the clone of the clown who got us into the mess we're just now recovering from? You obviously vote against your own best interests.
Both Rombney and Santorum are wackos, never have I seen such a farce. They are both pathetic excuses for human beings and neither one of those boozoos will ever be President.
Great news for Romney!
Who is getting the remaining 15%? "None of The Above"?
Good for you Romney. Santorum begin to talk too negative. We hope you keep you off the stump.
Last month, Santorum came from behind to post three unexpected victories. But after a week of misspeak, his campaign has gone limp. Romney is now back on top of the other candidates.
Mitt literally assumed the missionary position in Gay Par-ee while others were fighting communism in southeast asia.
Can't wait for this election to be over, although I have enjoyed all the Republican nutjobs and their absurdisms.
Tapdancing in Clown Shoes: The Story Of Mittens Romney.