Rasmussen poll: Santorum surges to second place nationally

Rick Santorum has vaulted into second place among the Republican presidential candidates, gaining 17 percent in the last month, according to the latest national survey from conservative polling outlet Rasmussen.

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Mitt Romney led in the poll, which was conducted Wednesday night, a day after Santorum’s surprising second-place finish at the Iowa caucuses, in which the former Pennsylvania senator fell short of Romney by only eight votes.

Romney took 29 percent of likely Republican primary voters in the poll, followed by Santorum at 21 percent, Newt Gingrich at 16 percent, Ron Paul at 12 percent and Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman at 4 percent each.

Santorum began November at 1 percent in the same survey, and finished the month at only 4 percent.

Gingrich’s sharp rise has been followed by an equally sharp decline: The former House Speaker rocketed to the front of the field in late November at 38 percent, but has since fallen into the second tier of candidates.

Romney fell to 17 percent in the Rasmussen poll during the Gingrich surge, but has since recaptured the poll numbers he had in October.

Ron Paul has also made some headway, up 4 points from 8 percent in November.

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