Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened up a double-digit lead in Florida three weeks before the presidential primary, a new Quinnipiac University poll released Monday found. But more than half of GOP voters remain not completely committed, the poll also found.
Romney is at 36 percent, 12 points ahead of nearest challenger Newt Gingrich, who would get 24 percent of the votes of those polled.
Rick Santorum, who essentially tied Romney in the Iowa caucuses last week is in third in the Quinnipiac Florida poll, with 16 percent, followed Ron Paul at 10 percent and Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 5 percent.
Jon Huntsman got 2 percent in the poll of likely primary voters.
The survey polled 560 likely Republican primary voters on land lines and cell phones, during January 4-8, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Still, 54 percent of respondents said they could still change their mind.
The Florida primary is Jan. 31.
“The primary is three weeks away and the results from New Hampshire and South Carolina could shake things up in the Sunshine State,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “With more than half of voters saying they might change their minds and more than 50 percent of them backing candidates perceived as more conservative, Romney could be vulnerable if those voters settle on one candidate.”
