Last week, it seemed that Mitt Romney was poised to continue sweeping primary states. He was ahead in Florida by double digits, and a win in our January 31st primary would have all but cemented his status as the presumptive Republican nominee. Though, in the grand tradition of this wacky primary season, the Sunshine State's GOP voters have decided to swap their allegiances once again and now Newt Gingrich has a huge lead in Florida according to the latest Rasmussen poll.
Here's the latest numbers in Florida:
- Gingrich - 41 percent
- Romney - 32 percent
- Santorum - 11 percent
- Paul - 8 percent
- Undecided - 9 percent
There is a bit of good news for Romney, however. He leads by 11 points among voters who have already gone to the ballot box in early voting, but Gingrich leads by 12 points among voters who have not yet voted.
About a third of voters say they could still change their vote, and more Romney voters (72 percent) are committed than Gingrich voters (62 percent). Interestingly, only 11 percent of voters say Gingrich has the "best personal values," while 41 percent say Romney.
Gingrich is still in a comfortable position thank to his support among strict conservatives and Tea Party members, but really, as recent history proves there's no such thing as a "comfortable position" in this ever-changing primary.
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