Thompson Closes Gap Among Florida Republicans, Poll Shows

By TBO.COM STAFF REPORT | Tbo.com
Published: September 20, 2007

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TAMPA - A new poll of likely Republican voters in Florida shows late-entry candidate Fred Thompson within one point of frontrunner Rudy Giuliani in the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor, had the support of 24 percent of respondents in the poll by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. Thompson, an actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee who announced his candidacy Sept. 5 on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," had 23 percent.

Twenty-two percent of Republicans remain undecided, according to the poll.

The third-place candidate was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with 13 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain had 9 percent, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 6 percent.

U.S. representatives Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo each garnered 1 percent. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback had less than 1 percent.

Mason-Dixon polled 400 likely Republican primary voters Sept. 17 and 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent.