Poll: Romney lead in Florida widens after strong debate performance

Another poll released Wednesday showed Mitt Romney with a substantial edge over Newt Gingrich in the upcoming Florida primary.

Romney was the choice of 41 percent of likely voters in the state, leading Gingrich, who garnered support from 34 percent of those surveyed, according to the poll from the American Research Group. That 7-point gap is more substantial than a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier Wednesday that showed Romney leading by just 2 points.

The widening gap could be due in part to a strong debate performance by Romney on Monday — and Gingrich's difficulty landing his trademark punches without the aid of a vocal audience. 

Romney led Gingrich by just a 38 percent to 34 percent before the debate, but among those surveyed Tuesday, Romney led by a 10-point margin.

Gingrich said Tuesday that he wouldn't "allow" moderators to silent the audience like NBC's Brian Williams did Monday.

The ARG poll also found Romney with a strong lead among the 233,000 Florida voters who have already cast their ballots. Among those voters, Romney led 51 percent to 39 percent. Those still deciding who to vote for split more evenly, with Romney leading 39 percent to 33 percent.

As has been true in past polls, Gingrich holds a substantial lead with self-identified Tea Party members, while Romney trumps the former Speaker among those who expressly do not identify with the group.

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