Ron Paul Passes Newt Gingrich for Third Place In Michigan 2012 Primary Poll

Texas Rep Ron Paul is ahead of former Speaker Newt Gingrich by six percentage points in Michigan, placing third roughly two weeks before the state's Republican primary on Feb. 28, 2012.

In the latest Mitchell/Rosetta Stone poll of likely voters, Paul currently has 11 percent of the vote, following Mitt Romney at 25 and Rick Santorum in first with 34 percent support.

Newt Gingrich garnered only five percentage points.

The latest poll before the Michigan primary shows how much voter perspectives in the Great Lake State have shifted over the past week.

In the aftermath of his three-state victory, Santorum has surged 19 percentage points since Mitchell/Rosetta Stone's last poll on Feb. 7, besting Mitt Romney in voter support in the latter's home state (Romney was raised in Bloomfield Hills).

Although Ron Paul has lost four percentage points since last Tuesday, his loss is nothing compared to Gingrich's 11 point loss. Romney has plummeted by 15 percentage points, dropping from 40 percent support last week.

Mitchell Research & Communications and Rosetta Stone Communications interviewed 455 likely voters in the Michigan 2012 Republican primary on Feb. 14.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.