Gingrich the favorite among Tea Party Patriots in Florida

The Tea Party Patriots on Sunday surveyed their members, producing at least one poll showing Newt Gingrich with an advantage in Florida.

Here is a news release with the details:

Today, the Tea Party Patriots, the nation’s largest tea party organization, announced that Newt Gingrich leads their Tea Party Straw Poll in Florida with 35 percent of the vote following Sunday night’s Tea Party Patriots Presidential Tele Forum which featured questions by Florida activists and leaders of Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum (Ron Paul was invited but could not attend). 

Nearly 6,000 Tea Party activists in Florida participated in the call, and 600 voted in the Straw Poll.  Tea Party Patriots do not endorse candidates, but the Straw Poll provides a snapshot of Florida Tea Party Patriots activists. 

“Last night's Tele Forum and Straw Poll demonstrated again that the tea party values are winning in America,” said Jenny Beth Martin, Co-Founder and National Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots.  “The three participating candidates all pledged to decrease spending below the current spending level their first fiscal year in office, and vowed to repeal government controlled health care.  As long as tea party supporters hold the elected officials accountable, regardless of whom is elected, our priorities will be addressed.” 

Straw Poll results:Question: If the election were held today, who would you vote for?         Newt Gingrich                                35%
        Rick Santorum                               31%
        Mitt Romney                                   18%
        Ron Paul                                         11%
        Undecided/None of the Above     5%   

More polls show Romney leading in Florida

The Miami Herald's Marc Caputo reports:

 From InsiderAdvantage:

• Mitt Romney: 36 percent
• Newt Gingrich: 31 percent
• Rick Santorum: 12 percent
• Ron Paul: 12 percent
• Other: 9 percent

From Public Policy Polling:

• Mitt Romney 39 percent
• Newt Gingrich 32 percent
• Rick Santorum 14 percent
• Ron Paul 11 percent

Rick Santorum to campaign in Punta Gorda

Rick Santorum is scheduled to campaign at a gathering of Punta Gorda Tea Party members Tuesday afternoon.

The "Rally by the Water" is set for 3 to 5:30 p.m. at Laishley Park, off U.S. 41 on the Peace River.

For more information, go here.

Also, Newt Gingrich is set to appear at 1:45 p.m. at a rally at Dolphin Aviation at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. For more information, go here.

Newt Gingrich set to rally in Manatee County

With momentum from his big win Saturday  in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich is scheduled to make a campaign stop Tuesday in Manatee County.

Numerous groups, including the Sarasota County Republican Party and Tea Party Manatee, are hosting Gingrich at Dolphin Aviation, 8191 N. Tamiami Trail, at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. The rally is set for 1:45 p.m.

For more information, go here.

Rick Santorum is the only other presidential candidate currently scheduled to appear in the area. He is set to attend a rally at Dolphin Aviation at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 29. More details, here.

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum to campaign in Manatee

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum will visit the Manatee-Sarasota area on Jan. 29, two days before GOP voters cast their ballots in the Florida primary.

A former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, Santorum lost the first-in-the-nation caucus in Iowa by eight votes; and finished in fourth place on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary.

Santorum will stop in the area for a grassroots rally at 2 p.m Jan. 29. at Dolphin Aviation, 8191 N. Tamiami Trail, at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, according to the Sarasota County Republican Party, which is hosting the event along with several other Republican and conservative groups.

Dolphin Aviation may be the go-to spot for candidates trying to reach as much of Florida before the primary. Five days before Santorum arrives, at 1:45 p.m. on Jan. 24, GOP hopeful Newt Gingrich is scheduled to stop for a rally.

3 weeks before Florida Republicans vote, Mitt Romney has big lead, according to poll

A new poll shows that "likely" voters in Florida are giving Mitt Romney a big lead three weeks before Sunshine State Republicans vote in their presidential primary.

But a majority think they might change their mind.

A Quinnipiac University poll found that 36 percent back Romney, the former Massachusetts governor; followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. 24 percent; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 16 percent; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, 10 percent; Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 5 percent; and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, 2 percent.

Fifty-four percent of the 560 likely primary voters surveyed said they might change their mind.

The poll was conducted Jan. 4-8, and has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

Read the press release, including more details about the poll results, below the fold.

Romney holds on to fund-raising lead in Manatee-Sarasota

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has widened his fund-raising lead among donors in the Manatee-Sarasota area, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

In the third quarter of this year, which ended Sept. 30, supporters donated a total of $25,160 to Romney's campaign, bringing his haul from the area to $134,260.

Similarly, Romney holds a huge fund-raising lead statewide, collecting more than $2.46 million from Florida donors. The next largest haul was by Gov. Rick Perry, who has mined Florida for more than $737,000 in contributions.

President Barack Obama -- the man the Republican candidates are hoping to face in the November 2012 general election -- reported rasising $45,483 in Manatee-Sarasota during the third quarter, bringing his total to $111,691. Obama has raised a total of almost $2.1 million from Florida donors.

However, the biggest fund-raiser in Manatee-Sarasota during the third quarter was former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn., who raised $44,000, which his brought his total to $44,500.

Next was U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who out-raised his fellow Texan, Perry, among Manatee-Sarasota donors.

Paul reported receiving $23,370 from donors in the area, bringing his total to $38,358. Perry, who entered the race in the middle of the quarter, reporting raising $20,960.

Herman Cain, the Atlanta businessman leading in many national polls, reporting raising $4,665 from Manatee-Sarasota donors during the third quarter, bring his total $8,655.

Bringing up the rear were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who collected $375, bringing his total to $6,975; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, $4,250 ($4,250); Rep. Michelle Bachmann, $1,797 ($4,547); and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson $775 ($775).

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To view the reports, including the list of donors' names, go here, click on the map of Florida, click on a candidate's name on the left, and the scroll down to 342xx on the right pull-down menu.

Romney is leading in fund-raising in Manatee-Sarasota.

Mitt Romney leaves a fund-raiser at the Sarasota Yacht Club last month. (Bradenton Herald photo.)

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has raised almost as twice as much campaign cash in Manatee-Sarasota for his 2012 presidential campaign as has President Barack Obama, and almost two and a half times as much as his Republican rivals combined.

Romney's popularity in the region -- and his fund-raising prowess -- are revealed in reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission through June 30.

Romney has proven especially popular in the 342x Zip Code region, which covers Manatee-Sarasota, raising a total of $109,100. Only two Zip Code regions in South Florida and in the Jacksonville area have been more lucrative for Romney, according to the FEC.

In Florida, Romney has raised more than $1.49 million, more than any other candidate -- including Obama. (To see Romney's local donors, go here.)

The president has raised almost $1.15 million in Florida, including $66,208 from donors in Manatee-Sarasota. (To see Obama's local donors, go here.)

Other Republican candidates trail far behind in their fund-raising in Manatee-Sarasota. (To see their local donors, click on the links)

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has raised, $15,100; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, $14,768; former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, $6,600; businessman Herman Cain, $4,000; U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, $2,750; and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., $500. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has raised $2,100 in Florida but none in Manatee-Sarasota.

In all, presidential candidates have reported raising a total of $219,026 in the 342x Zip Code region.

Statewide, donors have contributed more than $3.25 million through June 30. Only donors in California, New York and Texas have proven more generous.