Poll Watch: Reuters/Ipsos Online Ohio 2012 Republican Primary Survey

Reuters/Ipsos Online Ohio 2012 GOP Primary Poll

• Rick Santorum 32%
• Mitt Romney 32%
• Newt Gingrich 17%
• Ron Paul 6%

If the 2012 Republican Primary for president were held today and you only had a choice between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, for whom would you vote?

• Mitt Romney 44%
• Rick Santorum 43%

Survey of 917 likely Republican primary voters was conducted March 1-3, 2012. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online surveys, but this poll has a credibility interval of +/- 3.8 percentage points for registered voters.

Inside the numbers:

Among those who went with Romney, 44 percent said they backed him because they believed he had a better chance at beating Obama in November, and 37 percent said their main reason for choosing him was his ability to improve the still-tepid economy.

Santorum, a strict conservative on social issues such as abortion and gay rights, attracted voters who were interested in his principles. Of the respondents who supported him, 56 percent said they did so because he shared their values and beliefs.