Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain is now tied with Mitt Romney at the top of the Republican presidential field, according to a CBS News poll released Tuesday evening.
Cain, who had until recently been polling in the single digits, is now supported by 17 percent of Republican primary voters. Among self-identified conservatives, Cain garners 21 percent support, more than any other candidate. (RELATED: Cain once wanted Tiger Woods to run for president)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who until recently was leading in the polls, saw his support drop from 23 percent two weeks ago to just 12 percent today. He is the first choice of 13 percent of conservatives, down from 16 percent the last time the poll was conducted.
Romney, meanwhile, has been holding steady. His 17 percent support among Republican primary voters ties him for first place with Cain, and garners 15 percent support from conservatives, numbers that are virtually unchanged from two weeks ago. Thirty-two percent of primary voters say he’s the candidate with the best chance of beating President Obama next year, while 21 percent think Perry has the best chance. Only 8 percent of primary voters think Cain is the Party’s most electable candidate in 2012.
The poll was conducted between September 28th and October 2nd. The margin of error for the sample is 6 percentage points.