Kim Geiger: Nevada poll: Romney leading by a wide margin

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-nevada-poll-romney-leading-by-a-wide-margin-20120202,0,2830303.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

By Kim Geiger

February 2, 2012, 8:03 a.m.

Reporting from Washington —

With just days before the Nevada GOP presidential caucuses, front runner Mitt Romney appears poised to win the state by a considerable margin.

A new poll by the Cannon Survey Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, found that Romney has the support of 45% of likely Republican caucus-goers, followed by Newt Gingrich with 25%, Rick Santorum with 11% and Ron Paulwith 9%.

Romney does particularly well with religious voters, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which commissioned the poll along with 8NewsNow. Among Mormons, who are a small percentage of the Nevadapopulation but made up one-quarter of GOP caucus-goers in 2008, Romney has 85.5% support. He also has the most support from Christians, Protestants and Catholics.

Romney is weaker when it comes to likely caucus-goers who identify strongly with the tea party movement. Those voters backed Gingrich over Romney, 37% to 27%, followed by Santorum (20%) and Paul (9%).

The poll was taken from Friday through Tuesday, before Romney had won the Florida primary.

Early indications from a poll by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling are that Romney may still hold a 20-percentage-point lead over Gingrich.

“Gingrich is barely above water on his favorability numbers,” pollster Tom Jensen told the Las Vegas Sun’s Jon Ralston. “Santorum is actually the most universally well-liked candidate but it’s not translating into intent to vote for him.”

Twenty-eight delegates are at stake in the Nevada contest, which will take place Saturday. Delegates will be awarded proportionally.

kim.geiger@latimes.com