(CNN) – Newt Gingrich is edging out his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in Mississippi, according to a new poll.
The American Research Group survey of likely Republican primary voters released Friday showed Gingrich with 35% support, followed by Mitt Romney with 31%, Rick Santorum with 20% and Ron Paul with 7%.
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Gingrich's margin over Romney increased slightly among those who said they will definitely vote in the March 13 primary, 37% to 30%. Santorum garnered 17% support and Paul received 5% among the same group.
The poll was conducted after Super Tuesday, when each of the GOP White House contenders picked up delegates. Romney won the popular vote in six states, while Santorum captured three and Gingrich nabbed one, his native Georgia.
Despite calls for him to bow out of the race, Gingrich has said he will remain in the contest until the convention and has also stressed the importance of wins in Mississippi and Alabama, which both vote on Tuesday.
Gingrich, the former House speaker, also led among tea party supporters and men in the poll. Forty-nine percent of those who support the grassroots movement were behind Gingrich, while 24% said the same of Romney. Seventeen percent said they backed Santorum and 5% said Paul.
Among men, Gingrich led with 39% to Romney and Santorum's 21% and Paul's 12%. However, Romney took the top spot among women with 42% support to Gingrich's 30%, Santorum's 19% and Paul's 2%.
ARG questioned 600 likely Republican primary voters by telephone in Mississippi between March 7 and March 8 with a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.
Also see:
Romney in Mississippi: 'I like grits'
GOP quick to criticize president over jobs report
From CNN Politics
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Question...if no one gets to the magic number of deligates, can one of the other candidates quit the race and give his deligates over to the one he indorses? If so, doesn't this mean that the GOTeaP (Rick and Newt) might end up having more deligates collectively than the GOModerateP (Romney). This means that the GOTP can't lose, right? Assuming that the GOTP sweeps the south of course.
it's time for Gingrich to give it up. He is just wasting time for Romney to get ready for the big job. Who can trust Gingrich? No one can. What he did to his first and second wife is to vomit. He is a man that no one should trust.Imagine what he would do as a president to all of us. Go away Mr. Newt. It's time!!!!
As far as I know a candidate can "give" his delegates to another candidate when they drop out of the race.
Gingrich can't win the convention and while early on I was leaning toward him I have now come to the realization that if we want to have a truly conservative candidate who believes in strong families and hard work and has a consistency in his message that Santorum is the only candidate that can realistically represent and distance himself from Obama. I want my vote to count and a vote for Gingrich at this juncture would be the same as staying home on election day. I think that the issues are too important to allow Romeny to buy the primary election only to loose the general election to Obama...it is time that people look at the bigger picture and accept the fact that Gingrich can't win the nomination and ask themselves how important is it to them that someone with conservative values be our candidate.
Now that Republican voters have gotten to know Santorum better, they are looking for another anti-Romney. But there is no one else except Ron Paul, and he has not won a single state. So...hello again, Gingrich!!
No way Santorum needs to go as well. We need someone that will be sharp and with a great experice in the private sector. and that is Mitt. We want jobs! and great jobs!.
It is getting better
Ha, ha! Newt said, "Not me. You ain't catchin' me. I'm movin' much too fast."
Its great seeing republicans eating their own. Can't wait to vote for Obama again and see him into his second term.
Looks like Romney is within striking distance to win in this state! Now THAT would be a death blow to Newt's campaign. It would impossible for him to continue if that happens. If he does continue it will be clear he's on a personal jihad.
We all lose in November, no matter who wins.
I hope people in the south are smart to not vote for Newt. He has no chance and he would be a disaster for the nominee. Newt's experiencce and dealings are gross not to mention his personal life. At this point the only candidate that can be compare w Obama is Mitt. so let's move on.
Of course he is we are talking about Mississippi the cess pool of America
I thought Mississippi was full of Santorum.
Santorum doesn't stand a chance against Obama and won't appeal to moderate voters due to statements such as "single moms are breeding criminals" and "I hope there will always be income inequality" and Satan has invaded our colleges" and "birth control makes people imoral" The Dems will use these statements in ways he won't recover from. Romney will be harder to beat but Gingrich is the only one with a credible plan to restore the country and a proven track record of real reform.
Going into this primary season who would have projected that Santorum would be the candidate giving the other candidates a run for their money (figuratively and literally). Obviously people as they have gotten to hear Santorum speak are liking what they hear...he is running a campaign on a shoestring with little or no paid staffers (haven't seen anything on actual count) but he is consistantly doing better than the well oiled, well funded machines of Romney, Gingrich & Paul...he finds a way to get the job done...this is the type of person that we need in Washington...a person who doesn't believe the answer is to spend more money...if he can run a campaign on a shoestring and be competing this well this far into the primary imagine what he could do in Washington in terms of cutting spending.
Newt and santurum both are just waisting time. Get out and let our winner Romney start getting after obama.He is going to beat obama by quite a bit.
Based on what I read on Ron Paul site, delegates of a candidate that drops out are free to support whomever they choose
Nip/Tuck Callista’s haircut will take Cotton Hill a long way in Mississippi.
@Bruce – You're an instigatin', allegatin' trouble maker. You know that? Keep up the good work.
Santorum is giving the other candidates a run for their money (both figuratively and literally). Who would have projected that he would be doing so well at the start of the primary season. He is a candidate running his campaign on a shoestring and yet he is doing better that Gingrich & Paul. Imagine if he can run a national campaign on a shoestring what he could do in terms of cutting wasteful spending in Washington. He is exactly the type of person that we need in Washington...someone who doesn't believe that spending more money is the answer to every problem.
I sure hope people in the south are smart to let Mitt R. get the job done. It's time fellows!
If Rmoney is struggling when nobody is talking about his HIDDEN tax records, what will happen when Dems start exposing him in the general election?
Even if "Good ol' Newt" loses Adelsen will cough up a few more million to keep him going.
Chris wrote:
Santorum is giving the other candidates a run for their money (both figuratively and literally). ... Imagine if he can run a national campaign on a shoestring what he could do in terms of cutting wasteful spending in Washington.
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Hmm, well let me imagine how not getting onto primary ballots would translate into a presidency. AH!
"Mr. President, we neglected to send enough foreign aid to Pakistan, and now they're ready to declare on us."
Hey, it was your idea. How a candidate manages their campaign is an excellent measure of how they would run their elected office. My official conclusion on Santorum? He's in way over his head.