Newt Gingrich surges in poll

GlobalPost

A new poll shows former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's support has risen among US Republicans.

The CNN/ORC International Poll released Monday revealed that Gingrich is now virtually tied for first with former Gov. Mitt Romney as the candidates campaign to win the Republican presidential nomination.

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The poll shows that 24 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents support Romney, and 22 percent support Gingrich, CNN reported. Gingrich's support has jumped 14 percent since October, it stated.

Former front-runner Herman Cain has fallen in the polls after his campaign was hit by a sexual scandal. Four women have come forward accusing Cain of sexual harassment when he headed the National Association of Restaurants in the late 1990s.

Cain is now down 11 percent, with his support standing at 14 percent.

"Cain is struggling with the charges of sexual harassment, and while most Republicans tend to dismiss those charges, roughly four in 10 Republicans think this is a serious matter and tend to believe the women who made those charges," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.

A televised interview with Cain's wife, Gloria Cain, will be running Monday night on Fox.

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"You hear the graphic allegations and we know that would have been something that’s totally disrespectful of her as a woman. And I know the type of person he is. He totally respects women," she said, according to the Christian Science Monitor, citing partial transcripts that have been released.

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