(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for Mitt Romney increased dramatically in the Palmetto State, according to a poll by American Research Group. 26 per cent of Republican Party supporters in the South Carolina would vote for the former Massachusetts governor in the 2008 United States presidential primary, up 17 points since August.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 23 per cent, followed by Arizona senator John McCain with 15 per cent, and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 10 per cent. Support is lower for former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas congressman Ron Paul, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Kansas senator Sam Brownback, Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo, and California congressman Duncan Hunter.

In the sample of Democratic Party supporters, New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is first with 41 per cent—up nine points in a month—followed by Illinois senator Barack Obama with 30 per cent, and former North Carolina senator John Edwards with seven per cent. Support is lower for New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Delaware senator Joe Biden, Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich, and Connecticut senator Chris Dodd.

The Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 29, 2008, after the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. The Republican contest in the Palmetto State is expected to take place on Jan. 19.

In 2004, Edwards won the Democratic South Carolina primary with 45 per cent of the vote, followed by Massachusetts senator John Kerry with 30 per cent, reverend Al Sharpton with 10 per cent, retired general Wesley Clark with seven per cent, former Vermont governor Howard Dean with five per cent, and Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman with two per cent. Incumbent president George W. Bush won the Republican convention unopposed.

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

Polling Data

If the 2008 Republican presidential preference primary were being held today, for whom would you vote?

If the 2008 Democratic presidential preference primary were being held today, for whom would you vote?

Source: American Research Group
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 600 likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina, and 600 likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, conducted from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

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