New GOP Presidential Poll Shows Spread at 9 Points | News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mitt Romney leads a new poll released Friday morning, with 40 percent over Newt Gingrich's 31 percent.

In the poll conducted by Voter Survey Service Rick Santorum got 12 percent and Ron Paul got 9. The poll was conducted over the past three days, mostly before Thursday night's debate.

Gingrich actually closed the gap, compared with a poll conducted by the same group earlier in January.

Republican presidential hopefuls headed into the homestretch of the critical Florida primary campaign Friday after a riveting debate that analysts believe gave Mitt Romney a boost over fellow front-runner Newt Gingrich.

Florida voters will decide Tuesday who gets the biggest delegate haul so far of the GOP presidential race, and the CNN/Republican Party of Florida debate provided the four candidates with their final chance to face one another on the same stage in the increasingly vitriolic contest.

Romney and Gingrich entered Thursday's debate in a statistical dead-heat for the lead, according to recent polling, with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul trailing well back. 

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