Poll finds Santorum surging in Gingrich's home state Georgia

A new poll shows GOP hopeful Rick Santorum surging in rival Newt Gingrich's home state of Georgia, threatening the former House speaker’s strategy of focusing on southern states to win the nomination.

A new Landmark Communications/Rosetta Stone poll of Georgia GOP voters finds Gingrich ahead in the state with 35 percent support, but followed by a rising Santorum with 26 percent. 

Mitt Romney, who won Maine's Saturday caucuses and is the leader in delegates in the Republican race is in third place with 16 percent, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 5 percent support.

A SurveyUSA Georgia poll taken earlier in February showed Gingrich ahead with 45 percent and Santorum a distant third with 9 percent support. Romney finished second in that poll with 32 percent.

Santorum's rise comes after he swept a series of contests last Tuesday in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado and after a new Public Policy Polling survey shows the former Pennsylvania senator leading presumptive favorite Mitt Romney by 15 points in the latest national poll. The poll was conducted a day after Santorum’s trifecta.

Gingrich secured a victory in South Carolina's first-in-the-south primary and has banked his campaign on performing well in southern states. He represented a district in Georgia for 20 years and has won the backing of five Georgia lawmakers. 

But Gingrich's strategy may face a strong challenge from Santorum who is also leading in Tennessee according to a poll released Friday.

"Voter preferences continue to be fluid," John Garst, president of Rosetta Stone said. "The question is whether Santorum's surge can hold until Super Tuesday, or whether it's just reflecting the news week."

Georgia and nine other states will vote on Super Tuesday, March 6.

The poll was conducted on Feb. 7 and has a 2.6 percent margin of error.

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