(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fred Thompson is barely ahead in the national race for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in the United States, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 25 per cent of respondents would vote for the actor and former Tennessee senator in a 2008 primary.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 23 per cent, followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 13 per cent, Arizona senator John McCain with 10 per cent, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee with six per cent.

On Sept. 30, McCain said he would not support the use of medical marijuana, adding, "I don’t think that the preponderance of medical opinion in America agrees with (the) assertion that it’s the most effective way of treating pain."

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.

Polling Data

Republican Presidential Primary Contenders

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with approximately 1,000 likely Republican primary voters, conducted from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.