Poll Watch: Rasmussen Mississippi 2012 Republican Primary Survey

Rasmussen Mississippi 2012 GOP Primary Poll

• Mitt Romney 35%
• Rick Santorum 27%
• Newt Gingrich 27%
• Ron Paul 6%
• Some other candidate 1%
• Undecided 4%

Are you certain you will vote for that candidate or is it possible that something come up that causes you to change your mind?

• Certain 60%
• Could change mind 36%

Survey of 750 likely Mississippi Republican primary voters was conducted March 8, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points.

Inside the numbers:

Among very conservative primary voters in Mississippi, it’s Santorum 35%, Romney 31% and Gingrich 26%. Among somewhat conservative voters, Romney draws 36% support over Gingrich’s 28% and Santorum’s 23%.

Regardless of preference, 72% of Mississippi primary voters expect Romney to be the eventual nominee. Only 14% feel Santorum will win the nomination, while six percent (6%) say the same of Gingrich.

Forty-two percent (42%) of Mississippi primary voters believe Romney would be the strongest Republican candidate against President Obama in the general election. Twenty-seven percent (27%) believe Gingrich would be the strongest challenger, while 18% say that of Santorum.

Most Mississippi primary voters (57%) think it is more important to choose a candidate who has the best chance of beating Obama. Thirty-five percent (35%) prefer a candidate who does the best job representing Republican values. Romney holds double-digit leads over his rivals among voters who put electability first. Santorum leads by smaller margins among those who prefer a candidate who best represents party values.

While 74% of likely GOP primary voters in Mississippi hold a favorable opinion of Santorum, 71% feel that way about both Romney and Gingrich. Most Mississippi primary voters (63%) view Paul unfavorably.

Mississippi voters view Santorum and Gingrich as the most conservative Republican candidates. Santorum is seen as conservative by 85% of Mississippi Republican voters, and 80% describe Gingrich that way. Fifty-four percent (54%) view Romney as at least somewhat conservative, while 50% say the same of Paul.