Mitt Romney holds a commanding lead in the New York Republican presidential primary, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.
Fifty-four percent of likely primary voters said they plan to vote for the former Massachusetts governor, while 21 percent back Rick Santorum. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has the support of nine percent of voters while eight percent back Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
Romney’s support is broad. He doesn’t receive less than 40 percent of the vote among the poll’s different groups, including Tea Party voters, conservatives and those without college degrees.
New York has already helped Romney in the Republican primary. Of the $74 million his campaign had raised by the end of February, 13 percent came from New York, the most of any state.
Despite Romney’s strong lead, Gingrich and Santorum do have plans to campaign in the state. Both are scheduled to speak at the state GOP’s annual dinner at a Midtown hotel on April 19.
Of course, the April 24 primary and its 92 delegates are likely to be the last race Romney wins in New York. Barack Obama would beat him 56 percent to 33 percent in the heavily Democratic state if the general election were held today.
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