Mitt Romney has rocketed to the front of the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire just days after raising more money than his GOP rivals, a new poll showed Thursday.
Romney now shares first place with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who had led Romney by a 2-to-1 margin in a mid-January poll by Zogby International. The new Zogby poll of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire showed Romney and McCain at 25 percent, with Rudy Giuliani at 19 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
“Score this as a big week for Mitt Romney,” pollster John Zogby said. “These poll numbers, together with the small increase in Iowa and a huge fundraising effort, puts him into the top tier and makes him a major player in the race for the GOP nomination.”The poll was conducted earlier this week in New Hampshire, site of the nation’s first primary election, just as Romney announced he had raised $23 million for his national campaign in the first three months of this year. By contrast, Giuliani raised $15 million and McCain raised $12.5 million.
But even before the fundraising figures were announced, Romney had moved up in the polls in Iowa, site of the nation’s first primary caucus. A Zogby poll released last week showed Romney had the support of 11 percent of Iowa Republicans, up from 5 percent in mid-January. Giuliani had 25 percent and McCain had 19 percent.
Romney polls better in Iowa and New Hampshire than he does nationally, where he registers an average of just 7 percent, according to Real Clear Politics. By contrast, Giuliani polls at 32 percent and McCain at 19 percent nationally.
Still, by moving up in states where early presidential contests will be held, Romney is positioning himself as an increasingly formidable challenger to Giuliani’s front-runner status.
“Move over, Rudy,” Zogby said. “You’ve got a real race on your hands.”
