Poll: Gingrich Leads Romney 40-26% in South Carolina

Support for Newt Gingrich is soaring as South Carolina votes in its Republican presidential primary, according to a new poll Saturday that shows him with a commanding lead over longtime frontrunner Mitt Romney.

Former House speaker Gingrich has the support of 40 percent of likely Republican voters in the state's primary, compared to 26 percent for Romney, the American Research Group reported in its poll released as voters trudged to the polls in the southern U.S. state.

"Gingrich has gained seven percentage points since the survey conducted January 17-18 and Romney has lost six percentage points since that survey," ARG said in a statement.

Veteran Representative Ron Paul was third with 18 percent while former senator Rick Santorum won 13 percent support.

The latest poll was conducted Thursday and Friday, a period widely considered being the most tumultuous in the 2012 nominating campaign that decides which Republican will face off against President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.

Romney, long considered the odds-on favorite to win the nomination, suffered a double blow Thursday; Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the race and endorsed Gingrich, while Iowa revoked his razor-thin victory in the first-in-the-nation caucuses and declared Santorum the winner there.

The ARG figures seem to solidify the polling trend of the past week, which show Gingrich with a growing lead in South Carolina and narrowing the lead which Romney holds nationwide.

Gingrich and his personal reputation were under heavy pressure Thursday when a U.S. network aired an interview with one of his ex-wives who said he had asked her to have an open marriage.

But he performed well in a vital debate that night among the candidates, bashing mainstream media for addressing his ex-wife's claims, which he rejected as false.

Voters who viewed that debate backed Gingrich 46 percent to 23 percent over Romney, according to a Public Policy Polling institute poll released on Friday.

ARG said its poll of 600 likely voters has a margin of error of four percentage points.