Poll Watch: PPP (D) Virginia 2012 Republican Primary Survey

PPP (D) Virginia 2012 GOP Primary Survey

• Mike Huckabee 20% (21%)
• Mitt Romney 16% (15%) 
• Sarah Palin 16% (17%)
• Newt Gingrich 14% (20%)
• Ron Paul 8% (7%)
• Mitch Daniels 7% (3%)
• Haley Barbour 4%
• Tim Pawlenty 4% (5%)
• Someone else/Undecided 11% (11%)

Among Men

• Mike Huckabee 18% (17%)
• Sarah Palin 17% (19%)
• Mitt Romney 14% (14%)
• Newt Gingrich 14% (20%) 
• Ron Paul 10% (10%)
• Mitch Daniels 9% (2%)
• Haley Barbour 5%
• Tim Pawlenty 5% (6%)
• Someone else/Undecided 8% (8%)

Among Women

• Mike Huckabee 21% (24%)
• Mitt Romney 17% (16%) 
• Sarah Palin 15% (15%)
• Newt Gingrich 14% (20%)
• Ron Paul 6% (3%)
• Mitch Daniels 5% (3%)
• Tim Pawlenty 4% (4%)
• Haley Barbour 3%
• Someone else/Undecided 14% (14%)

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Mike Huckabee 68% (72%) / 20% (18%) {+48%}
• Mitt Romney 58% (63%) / 23% (22%) {+35%}
• Sarah Palin 63% (70%) / 29% (24%) {+34%}
• Newt Gingrich 54% (64%) / 29% (20%) {+25%}

Among Men

• Mike Huckabee 66% (73%) / 22% (20%) {+44%}
• Sarah Palin 64% (72%) / 31% (21%) {+33%}
• Mitt Romney 58% (62%) / 26% (25%) {+32%}
• Newt Gingrich 59% (69%) / 28% (20%) {+31%}

Among Women

• Mike Huckabee 70% (71%) / 17% (15%) {+53%}
• Mitt Romney 57% (64%) / 20% (19%) {+37%}
• Sarah Palin 63% (68%) / 28% (28%) {+35%}
• Newt Gingrich 48% (59%) / 29% (20%) {+19%}

Survey of 400 usual Virginia Republican primary voters was conducted February 24-27, 2011.  The margin of error is +/- 4.9 percentage points.  Political ideology: 38% Very conservative; 38% Somewhat conservative; 18% Moderate; 3% Somewhat liberal; 2% Very liberal.  Results from the poll conducted November 10-13, 2010 are in parentheses.

Inside the numbers:

Holding Romney back from a stronger position in Virginia is a fourth place finish with voters describing themselves as 'very conservative,' with whom he registers at just 12%. He's a solid second to Huckabee with the other two major GOP ideology groupings of 'somewhat conservative' and 'moderate' voters. Gingrich is actually by a small margin in first place among those furthest right Republicans. 

This is one of the best performances we've found for Daniels anywhere we've polled, perhaps an indication that the Beltway obsession with him is spilling over a little bit to GOP primary voters in northern Virginia.