Poll: Clinton leads Democrats, GOP shows wide swings

RENO -- U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton remains the leading Democratic presidential candidate in the Nevada caucus, but the Republican field is subject to wide swings, according to a new poll.

In the latest survey by the Reno Gazette-Journal, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gained 24 points to capture the lead from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who dropped 20 points compared with a March survey.

Of 400 Republicans likely to be at the caucus polled Aug. 14-16, 28 percent supported Romney. Giuliani and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, who has yet to announce his candidacy, were next with 18 percent each.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was a distant fourth with 8 percent.

The poll by Maryland-based Research 2000 has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Eric Herzik, a Republican and political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, said it's too early to suggest the findings will hold come January.

For the most part, Democratic candidates maintained their standings compared to March.

Clinton has held a double-digit lead over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama since polling began in Nevada. Of 400 Democrats likely to be at the caucus, 33 percent support Clinton and 19 percent back Obama.

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards gained 4 points to 15 percent since March, when he had 11 percent.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson went from 2 percent to 11 percent after five months of campaigning in the state.