Romney, Cain and Gingrich are Tops Among GOP Hopefuls That Prominent Iowa Republicans May Support

With 60 days to the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3, most influential Republicans in Iowa have yet to publicly endorse a candidate for president, according to the latest Power Outsiders survey conducted by Patch and the Huffington Post.

Only one in five of those polled are publicly backing anyone. Indecision may still be a factor when it comes to making a public endorsement, but they did indicate in the survey who they are leaning towards supporting on caucus night:

Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and the Newt Gingrich, in that order.

Despite only a minimal presence in Iowa, 38 percent of Iowans surveyed said there is a good chance they will support Romney, in addition to 6 percent who said they are publicly endorsing him already.

Cain came in second with 30 percent saying there is a good chance they will support him and 4 percent that are already committed. Gingrich has a good- chance nod from 32 percent of those sruveyed, but so far none publicly committing in Iowa.

On the flip said, responses from Power Outsiders in Iowa continue to show a sinking Michele Bachmann campaign. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed in Iowa answered there is no chance (53 percent) they would support Bachmann or they have already endorsed another candidate (21 percent).

Nationally, Bachmann finished dead last among the nine major candidates with only 5 percent of Power Outsiders saying they had endorsed Bachmann or there is a good chance they would.

The numbers in Iowa largely mirror, although are not identical to, the full Power Outsiders survey, which includes influential Republicans in early voting states New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, in addition to Iowa. This is not a scientific survey.

Mitt Romney has the most public endorsements nationally, or 26 percent of those surveyed, and those most leaning his way.

The one outlier in the survey is Rick Perry, who came in fourth in Iowa and nationally for those who have endorsed him or say there is a good chance they will. Perry tied Romney for the most public endorsements among the Power Outsiders.

Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum all received only minimal support in Iowa and nationally, according to the survey.

Power Outsiders is a Patch-Huffington Post project that surveys influential Republicans in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and, now, Florida. Details on responses from all four states and a full list of participants can be found here.