Polls show Herman Cain surging past Rick Perry

GlobalPost

Two polls of the race for the Republican presidential nomination released Monday show former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain ahead of Texas Governor Rick Perry, MSNBC reports.

Perry enjoyed good poll numbers when he entered the race in August, but he has slumped of late, while Cain has surged. Both a Gallup poll released Monday and a new Washington Post/Bloomberg News poll show Cain in second place behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The Gallup poll had Romney at 20 percent support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. The Washington Post/Bloomberg News poll had Romney leading at 24 percent.

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According to MSNBC, the "battle for second position on the polls appears more fluid." In the Gallup poll, Cain surged 5 points from a survey a few weeks ago and sits in second with 18 percent support. Perry came in at 15 percent and third place — down from 31 percent and first place last month. Washington Post/Bloomberg News had Cain at 16 percent and Perry at 13 percent.

Meanwhile, two new polls of New Hampshire, which will hold the nation's first primary, show Romney with a big lead and Cain in second place, according to The Washington Post.

The Republican candidates will meet Tuesday night for a Bloomberg/Washington Post Republican Presidential Debate in Hanover, New Hampshire.

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