With less than a week to go before Florida's primary, Newt Gingrich is gaining on Mitt Romney, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
The former House Speaker is favored by 34 percent of likely Republican voters, compared to 36 for Romney.
A Jan. 9 Quinnipiac poll showed Romney with a 36-24 percent lead, but Gingrich's win in the South Carolina primary has him gaining momentum in the Sunshine State.
"Florida is essentially a dead heat and a two-man race between Gov. Mitt Romney and Speaker Newt Gingrich entering the last week of the campaign," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement. "Gingrich's South Carolina victory clearly gives him a boost in Florida."
The poll, taken between Jan. 19-23, surveyed 601 registered voters by telephone, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
Rick Santorum came in a distant third in the poll with 13 percent, followed by Ron Paul with 10 percent.
Meanwhile, Romney, Gingrich and Santorum will all be in South Florida Wednesday for a variety of events.
All three will participate in a "Meet the Candidates" forum at the Univision TV network in Miami, co-sponsored by Miami-Dade College and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Romney will also be delivering a speech on Cuba and Latin American policy at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami.
Gingrich will be delivering his own Latin American policy speech Wednesday at Florida International University, followed by a meet and greet at Wings Plus restaurant in Coral Springs.
Santorum is scheduled to attend a Republican Party rally in Naples. Paul has no scheduled events in Florida.
