Newt Gingrich pledges to “go all the way” to the Republican convention
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks as former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney listens during an exchange at the Florida Republican Presidential debate January 26, 2012 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
The race for the Republican Presidential nomination is heating up in Florida, just days ahead of Tuesday's GOP primary.
Newt Gingrich said he plans to stay in the race until the Republican National Convention, regardless of what happens Tuesday, CBS News reported:
"I will go all the way to the convention. I expect to win the nomination," Gingrich told reporters after a campaign rally in the sunshine state.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is surging in the polls in Florida, following Gingrich's recent win in South Carolina's primary.
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Bloomberg cited a poll of 580 likely Republican primary voters released by Quinnipiac University. It showed Romney with 38 percent of the Florida vote compared to Gingrich's 29 percent. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
A Quinnipiac poll released Jan. 25 put Romney only two points in the lead.
The former House Speaker said he will stay in the race even if he loses to Romney on Tuesday. "Why don't you ask Gov. Romney what he is going to do if he loses, since he is behind in both national polls," a defiant Gingrich responded to journalists, CBS reported.
Gingrich pledged to continue campaigning "state by state."