(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Rudy Giuliani is holding on to the top spot among the Republican Party’s presidential hopefuls, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 29 per cent of respondents would vote for the former New York City mayor in a 2008 United States presidential primary, down four points in a week.

Actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson is second with 19 per cent, followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 15 per cent, and Arizona senator John McCain with 12 per cent. Support is lower for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Texas congressman Ron Paul, Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo, and California congressman Duncan Hunter.

On Oct. 19, Kansas senator Sam Brownback withdrew from the presidential race, saying, "My yellow brick road came just short of the White House this time. (...) I think we had a good strategy. I was very hopeful we’d be able to get the social conservative wing of the party on board early and then build out to the economic conservatives. I don’t think conservatives are divided. I just think they’re undecided."

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 Oct. 15 to Oct. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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