Poll: Cain, Romney share lead in Iowa

Businessman Herman Cain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are the front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register poll released Saturday night.

Cain, who has shot to the top of national polls as well, earned 23 percent support of likely caucusgoers, and Romney has 22 percent support, the Register poll found. 

{mosads}With little more than two months before Iowa holds the first vote of the presidential contest, the rest of the GOP field trails by at least 10 percentage-points in the state. Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) scored 12 percent support in the poll.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, who won the Ames Straw Poll in June and was the co-leader in the Register’s poll at the time, has dropped to 8 percent.

After making a big splash in the Republican race by announcing his candidacy the same weekend as the straw poll, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has the support of only 7 percent of likely caucusgoers, the Register poll found. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has the same level of support in Iowa.