Herman Cain topped Mitt Romney 23 to 22 percent in the much anticipated Des Moines Register poll set to run in tomorrow’s paper. Ron Paul is in third at 12 percent, Michele Bachmann is in fourth at 8 percent, Rick Perry is in fifth at 7 percent, and Santorum is in sixth at 5 percent.
The poll was conducted from October 23rd through the 26th and reached 400 Iowa Republicans. Despite recent accusations that his 9-9-9 tax plan would raise taxes on most Americans and questions about his pro-life beliefs, Cain’s 23 percent represents a 13 point gain over the Register’s fist poll in June.
The two frontrunners, Cain and Romney, have largely skipped Iowa so far this year. Cain has been to the state only once since he placed fifth in the August 13th Iowa straw poll. Romney has been two Iowa only three times this year. It appears absence does make the heart grow fonder … at least when it comes to this cycle’s Republican field
