The Hill News

Herman Cain's win in the Florida straw poll may very well be a harbinger of building momentum, according to a new poll of Republicans in the state released Thursday by SurveyUSA.

Pundits had initially questioned whether Cain's victory in the straw poll - in which he earned more than double the votes of any other candidate - was a protest vote by Republicans disenchanted with the debate performance of presumptive frontrunner Rick Perry. But Cain ranked second Thursday in the statewide poll of Republican voters, with 25 percent of support. He trails frontrunner Mitt Romney by just 2 percent. Both Romney and Cain have substantial leads over Perry, who finished third with 13 percent of the vote.

The news is especially troubling for the Perry campaign, which had hoped to make inroads in the crucial swing state. The Texas governor held a breakfast over the weekend for Florida straw poll voters and was actively courting support, while other candidates - un! cluding Romney, Michele Bachmann, and Jon Huntsman - all left to campaign in other states.

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