Hawkeye Poll: Gingrich, Romney Have Slight Leads over Obama in Iowa

Two GOP presidential hopefuls hold slight leads over President Obama in a new poll released on Thursday.

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are slightly ahead of Obama, although tied given statistical error. The University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll asked 982 registered voters in Iowa who they would support if the 2012 election were held today. 

Gingrich held a 45.6 percent to 43.3 percent advantage over the president, with 11.1 percent undecided. Romney holds a smaller lead with 42.6 percent to 41.7 percent, and 15.7 percent undecided. According to the university, both leads are within the margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent, "suggesting that the race is effectively tied."

"The fact that both currently fare equally well among voters for the general election may be an advantage for Gingrich," says Frederick Boehmke, associate professor of political science in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and faculty adviser to the Hawkeye Poll. "Electability has been an important part of Romney's appeal, but if Republican caucus-goers see other candidates as just as electable, then Romney will lose that advantage and his support might start to slide."

According to the same poll, Gingrich currently retains his lead over Romney, with 29.8 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers indicating that they would vote for Gingrich and 20.3 percent of the respondents supporting Romney if the caucuses were held today.