Poll: Three-Way Republican Race In Florida

January 21, 2008 2:30 p.m. EST

Tallahassee, SC (AHN) - Three Republican presidential hopefuls are running neck and neck in Florida ahead of primaries in the state.

A new InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Survey shows former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 21 percent support in the state, followed by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney who got 20 percent each. All three Republicans are statistically tied in first place, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee trails in second place with 13 percent, followed by former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson with 7 percent. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) received 6 percent and thirteen percent of voters surveyed said they were undecided.

Significant is Giuliani's taking the lead in the state, and the decline in Huckabee's support, less than two weeks before the primaries. A previous poll by the Quinnipiac University showed a four-way statistical tie, with Huckabee receiving 19 percent support and Giuliani trailing McCain to take second place with 20 percent.

Giuliani decided to bypass campaigning in early-voting states early this month to increase his chances in the Sunshine State. He did not contest the key states of Iowa and New Hampshire and finished sixth and ninth place in each state, respectively. He is hoping to use a win in Florida to boost his campaign ahead of Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states hold primaries simultaneously on February 5.

Last week, Giuliani began running a new television ad that abandoned the usual strategy of focusing on his management skills during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and instead touted his fiscal record as mayor.

The battle in Florida among GOPs is expected to bring out a clear front-runner in the Republican race. McCain has wins from New Hampshire and South Carolina, while Romney has victories from Michigan, Nevada and Wyoming. Huckabee, the Iowa winner, finished second in Michigan and South Carolina.

Florida holds its primaries on January 29.