Poll: Gingrich ahead in Georgia by double-digit margin
(CNN) - A new poll released Saturday indicates Newt Gingrich has a double-digit margin over his opponents in Georgia, a Super Tuesday state in which the former House speaker has heavily staked his campaign resources.
Gingrich has the backing of 38% of likely Republican primary voters, while GOP presidential rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are statistically tied for second place, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.
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The poll indicates Romney is slightly ahead of Santorum, 24% to 22%. The two-point margin falls well within the poll's sampling error.
Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, meanwhile, comes in fourth place with 3%, and 12% of respondents say they were undecided.
Gingrich, who represented Georgia for 20 years in Congress, has emphasized he needs to pull a victory in the state's primary on March 6 in order to propel his campaign forward.
Talking to reporters Saturday night, Gingrich said he only needs to win Georgia to stay in the race. The candidate has won one primary so far, in neighboring South Carolina.
The former speaker has largely skipped other states, including this week's contests in Michigan and Arizona, in order to focus on Georgia. Of the 10 states holding contests on Super Tuesday, Georgia has the most delegates at stake, with 76.
Gingrich leads in all regions of the state, especially in north Georgia, where 42% of respondents say they will vote for the candidate, according to the poll.
The longtime Georgia resident wrapped up a four-day campaign swing in the state Friday and will return for more events on Super Tuesday. He spent Saturday campaigning in Ohio.
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research conducted the survey February 29-March 2, questioning 625 registered Georgia voters by telephone. All stated they were likely to vote in Tuesday's Republican primary. The sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.
- CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.
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We should be thanking the only man running who knows Mitt Romney is skillfully conducting nothing less than a Covert Election Operation against true conservatives, assisted by the Elite Media, including the next CNN (Fox News) and Political Group Thinkers who are using the unelectable Santorum to block the true conservative Ex-Speaker Gingrich.
I hope he wins , Newt reminds me of Rush Limbaugh with hair . They both have been married three times to women that know the finer things in life. Both support big Pharma . And both know love is never having to say your sorry , unless your ratings or public opinion is affected.
Go Newt , 2012
Don't underestimate Newt. The GOP establishment must be near panic. Hope the in-fighting goes all the way to the convention. The negative campaigning will be seared onto the minds of voters!
Yeah! On to the space station.
No big surprise here. Georgia keeps shooting themselves in the foot. Haley Barbour , at one time one of the leading Spokesman for the GOP, releases convicted murderers, and they want to reinstate the most ethically challenged man next to Nixon. Georgia, you get nothing less than you deserve. No doubt if Barbour were able to run again, he'd win a landslide.
Marryin' Newt is ahead ? Is the Confederate States of America having new elections ?
Who conducts all these hundreds of polls that are floating around? every time some body breaks wind there are a dozen polls proffessing to know the origin of the gas. How many folks reading this has ever been polled?
It looks like GA is treating Newtron better than MI treated Mittens.
Keep it up, boys. You are all headed for the woodshed come November.
just forge about this idiot....along with Santorum.
Well goodie for him. His home state and the south! Who cares
If the Georgia voters have as much integrity as Newt, then the State of Georgia is in a sad state of affairs. They got rid of him once and now he comes back for there favors.