Huckabee #1 in South Carolina

Election 2008: South Carolina Republican Primary
South Carolina: Huckabee 25% Romney 18% Thompson 18%
Thursday, December 06, 2007
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Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has taken the lead in South Carolina’s Republican Presidential Primary. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Huckabee with 25% of the vote, Mitt Romney with 18% and Fred Thompson with 18%. A month ago, Romney and Thompson were on top.
The latest election poll also shows Rudy Giuliani with 12% of the vote, John McCain with 9%, and Ron Paul with 4% (see crosstabs). The race among Democrats in South Carolina has become a toss-up between Clinton and Obama.
Huckabee, at least for the moment, is carrying out the plan envisioned by the Thompson campaign last summer. He attracts from 37% of Evangelical Christians and 29% of conservatives. Thompson currently earns 20% of the Evangelical vote while Romney is supported by 15%.
While Huckabee leads among conservatives, Romney has a modest edge among the smaller number of political moderates likely to vote in the Primary. Among moderates, it’s Romney 22%, McCain 16%, Huckabee 16%, and Giuliani at 14%.
A month ago, Thompson was leading among Evangelical Christian voters while Romney had the advantage among other Protestants. Today, Huckabee attracts 22% of other Protestants, Romney 21%, and Thompson 16%.
The race in South Carolina remains very fluid and could easily be impacted by results from earlier voting. Forty-one percent (41%) of Huckabee’s supporters say they will definitely vote for him but 19% say there’s a good chance they could change their mind.
Just 38% of Romney’s voters are certain they will vote for him while 18% say there’s a good chance they could change their mind.
Among Thompson voters, 41% are certain while just 10% say there’s a good chance they’ll change their mind.
Twenty-six percent (26%) of Likely Republican Primary Voters in South Carolina name immigration as the top voting issue followed by the economy (20%), national security (19%), and the War in Iraq (15%). Health Care is the top issue for 7%.
Huckabee and Romney are the frontrunners in Iowa, Romney has the edge in New Hampshire, while Huckabee and Giuliani lead in the national polls. However, five candidates are in double digits nationally, any one of whom could conceivably win the nomination.
Huckabee is now viewed favorably by 70% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters and unfavorably by just 21%. That’s up dramatically from 57% favorable and 29% unfavorable a month ago.
Thompson is viewed favorably by 74%, Romney by 72%, and McCain by 60%. Those figures are little changed from a month ago.
Giuliani is now viewed favorably by 65%, down from 72% a month ago