Mitt Romney regains momentum in Florida
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney stepped up his campaign in Florida yesterday after a new opinion poll showed he was gaining momentum in a race against archrival Newt Gingrich. With only three days to go until the vital Florida primary, the...
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney stepped up his campaign in Florida yesterday after a new opinion poll showed he was gaining momentum in a race against archrival Newt Gingrich.
After being criticised for lacking passion, Romney came out swinging
With only three days to go until the vital Florida primary, the two rivals barnstormed the huge battleground state which could prove a make-or-break stop in their battle for the Republican Party crown.
After a shock defeat by Gingrich in South Carolina last weekend and a slew of attacks, Romney’s campaign got a fresh boost as he bids to be the party’s nominee to take on Democratic President Barack Obama in the November elections.
A Quinnipiac University survey showed the former Massachusetts governor at 38 to 29 per cent over former House of Representatives speaker Gingrich in Florida, re-capturing the lead after slipping badly over recent days.
The poll of likely Republican voters was taken before the candidates’ televised debate last Thursday, but it indicated the race may be swinging back in favour of multimillionaire businessman and former venture capitalist Romney.
“Gingrich’s momentum from his South Carolina victory appears to have stalled and governor Mitt Romney seems to be pulling away in Florida,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has done virtually no campaigning in the Sunshine state, was on 14 per cent, and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum was in fourth place, with 12 per cent, the survey said.
The field has now narrowed in Florida to a two-man race between Romney and Gingrich, who traded bitter attacks in a debate late on Thursday.
Gingrich supporters were still firmly behind their man, manning the phones and handing out pamphlets in the final countdown towards Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary here.
After a string of debates where he was criticised for lacking passion, Romney came out swinging, rounding on Gingrich for alleging he was against immigrants and dodged his taxes.
He scored another important victory later in the day when he secured the endorsement of Puerto Rico governor Luis Fortuno.