Raleigh, N.C. – Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Mike Huckabee continue to dominate the early field of potential Republican challengers to President Barack Obama, splitting 87% of the vote, with each getting between 21 and 23%.

Huckabee currently has 23% to Romney’s 22%, Gingrich and Palin at 21%, Ron Paul at 4%, and unnamed others at 2%, with 7% undecided.  As the below chart shows, the four frontrunners have been converging toward each other in the six months PPP has polled the race, with either Romney, Huckabee, or Gingrich on top in any given month, and the other three bunched close behind, with Palin consistently in third or fourth.  Paul’s support has gradually declined, and while Romney continues to win many state primaries that will determine the actual delegate counts at the convention, his national support has been eaten into by the entrance of Gingrich and the persistence of Huckabee and Palin.

When asked whether they want one of the five named candidates to be the eventual nominee, 24% said they would like it to be someone else, far higher than the 2% who chose someone else in the horse race, but way lower than the 54% who are happy with their present choices.  Despite the push for more conservative party representatives among Tea Party activists this year, 57% of conservatives are satisfied with one of the four leaders or Paul going head-to-head with Obama in two years.  Even so, there is clearly room for someone else to emerge in this ever-shifting slate of candidates.

PPP surveyed 400 national Republican primary voters from August 6^th to 9^th.  The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.9%.  Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

If you would like an interview regarding this release, please contact Dean Debnam at (888) 621-6988 or 919-880-4888.

Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Mike Huckabee? Favorable……………. 62% Unfavorable ………… 14% Not sure ……………… 25% Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin? Favorable……………………………………………….. 76% Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 17% Not sure …………………………………………………. 7% Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Newt Gingrich? Favorable……………………………………………….. 65% Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 19% Not sure …………………………………………………. 16% Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Ron Paul? Favorable……………………………………………….. 36% Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 25% Not sure …………………………………………………. 40% Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Mitt Romney? Favorable……………………………………………….. 57% Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 21% Not sure …………………………………………………. 22% Q6 If the Republican candidates for President in 2012 were Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney who would you support? Newt Gingrich …………………………………………. 21% Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 23% Sarah Palin …………………………………………….. 21% Ron Paul ………………………………………………… 4% Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 22% Someone else…………………………………………. 2% Undecided………………………………………………. 7% Q7 Would you like to see the Republican nominee for President in 2012 be someone other than Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, or Mitt Romney? Someone else…………………………………………. 24% One of these 5 ………………………………………… 54% Not sure …………………………………………………. 22% Q8 Would you describe yourself as a liberal, moderate, or conservative? Liberal ……………………………………………………. 3% Moderate………………………………………………… 25% Conservative…………………………………………… 72% Q9 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2. Woman ………………………………………………….. 50% Man……………………………………………………….. 50% Q10 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1 now. If you are 30 to 45, press 2. If you are 46 to 65, press 3. If older, press 4. 18 to 29………………………………………………….. 4% 30 to 45………………………………………………….. 22% 46 to 65………………………………………………….. 58% Older than 65………………………………………….. 16% Q11 How would you describe your current employment status? If you are employed full time, press 1. If you are employed part time, press 2. If you are unemployed and looking for work, press 3. If you are a student, press 4. If you are a homemaker, press 5. If other, press 6 Full Time………………………………………………… 50% Part Time ……………………………………………….. 9% Unemployed……………………………………………. 6% Student ………………………………………………….. 1% Homemaker ……………………………………………. 11% Other……………………………………………………… 24% Q12 Have you ever smoked Marijuana? If yes, press 1. If no, press 2. If you don’t care to say, press 3. Yes ……………………………………………………….. 21% No …………………………………………………………. 70% N/A………………………………………………………… 9%

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