Poll: Santorum leads by double digits in Washington

{mosads}Santorum took 38 percent, followed by Mitt Romney at 27 percent, and Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich at 12 percent each.

In addition, Santorum is viewed far more favorably than the rest of the GOP field, with 69 percent saying they have a positive opinion of him, versus only 18 percent who view him negatively.

Romney is the next closest candidate, at 47 percent favorable and 42 percent unfavorable.

Gingrich continues to be a drag on the Santorum campaign, as a strong majority of his supporters said they would vote for Santorum if the former House Speaker were to pull out of the race. The same is true among voters in Arizona and Michigan.

Still, Romney has the edge in voter commitment in Washington, with 54 percent saying they were firmly committed to him, while only 48 percent of Santorum’s backers said the same.

The Washington caucuses will take place after the Michigan and Arizona primaries on Feb. 28, but before the March 6 Super Tuesday votes.

Santorum and Romney are virtually tied in those states, with Santorum holding a slight edge in Michigan, and Romney a slight edge in the Arizona.