The Hill News

Questions about a multi-million dollar consulting contract with troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac seem to have done little to hamper Newt Gingrich's surge within the Republican field, with a new national Reuters/Ipsos poll showing the former Speaker of the House leading the GOP presidential contest.

Nearly a quarter - 24 percent - of Republican voters chose Gingrich as their top candidate, versus 22 percent for Mitt Romney, who has fallen 6 percentage points since the poll was taken last month. 

Meanwhile Herman Cain continued his freefall in the national polls, slipping to 12 percent of support - half of that a month ago. Rick Perry, who also shared time atop the Republican field, earned 10 percent of Republican support.

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