Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a five point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the first poll of Nevada Republican voters since Perry announced he is getting in the race.
The Magellan Strategies poll surveyed 631 likely 2012 Nevada Republican Presidential caucus attendees and found Perry beating Romney 29% to 24%. former Godfather Pizza CEO Herman Cain, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, rounded out the top five with 7%, 6%, and 6% respectively.
A Perry lead in Nevada would put Romney’s path to the nomination in serious jeopardy. Perry already leads in Iowa, the first Republican contest, and he is expected to beat Romney handily in the third contest in South Carolina. A Perry win in Nevada would give him strong momentum heading into Super Tuesday. Here is how the schedule is anticipated to look:
February 6th: Iowa caucus
February 14th: New Hampshire primary
February 18th: Nevada caucus
February 28th: South Carolina primary
March 6th: Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia
The poll also shows that the split between Perry and Romney continues to break down along Tea Party lines. Among self-identified Tea Party members, Perry is beating Romney by 20 points, 36% to 16%. But among non-Tea Party members, Romney is beating Perry 32% to 22%.
