Santorum also slipped in favorability ratings since Tuesday’s Michigan and Arizona primaries. In Friday’s results, 24 percent of likely voters said they had an unfavorable opinion of Santorum compared to 16 percent earlier in the week.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed identified themselves as conservatives and 39 percent said they were white, evangelical or born-again Christians.
Polling Institute officials said the race is too close to call — the results are well within the poll’s 4.5 percentage-point margin of error. Assistant Director Peter A. Brown said Romney’s gain can be explained by momentum from his Michigan win and the campaign’s focus on Ohio, which includes abundant television advertising.
Brown said TV ads helped Romney win big states Florida and Michigan after being behind in polls there.
“Romney’s ability to use television to tell voters things about his opponents they might not know — that might be unflattering — makes a difference,” Brown said.
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas continue to trail, 17 percent for Gingrich and 12 percent for Paul. About one-third of voters said they might change their minds, which Brown said is not unusual. Santorum, Romney and Gingrich plan to stop in the Dayton area today.
The poll surveyed 517 likely Republican primary voters on land lines and cell phones from Feb. 29 to March 1.
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