The Florida primary is officially underway with Mitt Romney holding a strong lead in the polls yet again.
Florida residents are casting their votes, and some students hope Romney will experience a better outcome Tuesday than he did in South Carolina. According to a poll released Monday, Romney has opened up a 20-point lead in the final days leading up to the Republican primary in Florida.
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“It is almost certain that Mitt Romney will top his 39 percent showing in New Hampshire,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, in a news release. “This poll also tells us that Romney could reverse and exceed Newt Gingrich’s percentage and margin in South Carolina – and do it in Gingrich’s backyard.”
That makes some BYU students hopeful.
“If he can keep that lead for another 24 hours, I think he can take Florida,” said Ashley Anderson, a senior majoring in public relations from Provo.
Romney currently leads by 12 points according to the Real Clear Politics average, but with so many fluctuations of favored candidates in The Sunshine State over the last two weeks, the outcome is anything but certain.
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Former Speaker Newt Gingrich pulled ahead of Romney in the polls last week, but after a poor debate performance, he has since dropped back down to second place.
“I think people are starting to lose faith in [Gingrich],” Anderson said. “I think his campaign fluctuates too much and it’s starting to hurt him.”
Despite his recent drop in the polls, Gingrich still believes there’s a chance he could pull ahead and take Florida today.
“We can win Florida and send a message to the Washington establishment,” Gingrich tweeted Monday. “Help us make calls to Florida voters today!”
Romney called on his voters as well, asking them to “help get the job done” and sign up to get the vote in Florida.
Regardless of the outcome, candidates realize the importance of this election and intend on making their campaigns count.
“People of America recognize that this is a critical time, this is not just an average election,” Romney posted on Facebook Sunday night. “This is a time where we’re going to decide whether America will remain the great hope of the 21st century.”
