Gary Johnson
In the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Gary Johnson isn’t the current frontrunner even in his home state of New Mexico.
That’s according to the newest survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.
The survey of 357 “usual” GOP primary voters in New Mexico found that 20 percent prefer Sarah Palin, 17 percent prefer Mike Huckabee, and 16 percent prefer Mitt Romney. Johnson and Newt Gingrich each had the support of 13 percent.
The survey, conducted Feb. 4-6, has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percent.
The field remains wide open, and anyone could gain ground. But it’s noteworthy that, when former Gov. Bill Richardson ran for president, he was favored in at least two polls (here and here) of New Mexico Democratic primary voters. He dropped out of the race before the New Mexico primary, however.
The new poll also tested what N.M. Republicans think about potential Senate primary candidates. Johnson finished second, with the support of 27 percent of those surveyed, while Heather Wilson finished first with 35 percent. Steve Pearce came in third at 17 percent.