Poll Watch: NBC News/Marist Arizona 2012 Republican Primary Survey

NBC News/Marist Arizona 2012 GOP Primary Poll

• Mitt Romney 43%
• Rick Santorum 27%
  
• Newt Gingrich 16%
• Ron Paul 11%

Second Choice

• Rick Santorum 28%
• Newt Gingrich 25%
• Mitt Romney 24%
• Ron Paul 12%

Without Gingrich

• Mitt Romney 50%
• Rick Santorum 33%
  
• Ron Paul 13%

Please tell me if you would find each of the following candidates acceptable, acceptable but with reservations, or not acceptable as the Republican nominee for president?

Mitt Romney

• Acceptable 56%
• Acceptable but with reservations 32%
• Not acceptable 11%

Rick Santorum

• Acceptable 54%
  
• Acceptable but with reservations 27%
  
• Not acceptable 15%

Newt Gingrich

• Acceptable 36%
  
• Acceptable but with reservations 30%
  
• Not acceptable 33%

Ron Paul

• Acceptable 25%
  
• Acceptable but with reservations 29%
  
• Not acceptable 43%

Are you currently satisfied with the Republican candidates who are running for president or would you like to see someone else run?

• Satisfied with current candidates 49%
• Would like to see someone else run 48%

Which one of the following candidates do you think has the best chance to beat President Obama?

• Mitt Romney 57%
• Rick Santorum 17%
• Newt Gingrich 11%
• Ron Paul 4%

Regardless of whom you support, who do you think will be the Republican nominee to run against President Obama?

• Mitt Romney 66%
  
• Rick Santorum 14%
  
• Newt Gingrich 7%
  
• Ron Paul 2%

Which one of the following candidates best represents your views on immigration?

• Mitt Romney 24%
• Newt Gingrich 20%
• Rick Santorum 18%
• Ron Paul 11% 

The Arizona immigration law requires police officers to check the citizenship papers of people they stop or arrest if the officer suspects the person may be in this country illegally.  Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supports this law, or would this not affect your vote either way?

• More likely 67%
• Less likely 6%
• Does not affect vote 25%

Do you consider a Mormon to be a Christian or not?

• Yes 63%
• No 37%

Among Evangelical Christians

• Yes 36%
• No 64%

Survey of 767 likely Republican primary voters was conducted February 19-20, 2012.  The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points.