Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, is closing in on former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the latest Washington Times/JZ Analytics Poll of likely New Hampshire Republican presidential primary voters released Thursday. Mr. Paul now has 24 percent of the votes in the NH poll, while Mr. Romney has 38 percent of the votes. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who finished in a virtual tie with Mr. Romney in the Iowa Caucuses, is also closing in on the Bain Capital co- founder. Mr. Santorum garnered 11 percent of the votes in the NH poll. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman are nearly out of the picture with 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Mr. Paul and Mr. Santorum also polled well in the latest 7 News/Suffolk University poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters. Mr. Paul rose 4 points and Mr. Santorum surged 2 points, while Mr. Romney dropped 2 points.
“It looks preliminarily like Romney’s showing in Iowa may be enough to consolidate his support in New Hampshire,” John Zogby, who conducted the Washington Times NH poll, posited, according to The Washington Times.
After reading the latest Washington Times NH poll, Mr. Paul rallied his supporters in a campaign email. “My campaign is quickly emerging as the true constitutional conservative alternative to Mitt Romney,” Mr. Paul wrote. “Polls are showing a huge bump for my campaign in New Hampshire after my strong showing in Iowa,” Mr. Paul added.
JZ Analytics surveyed 498 likely New Hampshire GOP primary voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
