California Republicans still favor former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the GOP's presidential primary sweepstakes, but they have a new No. 2: Newt Gingrich.
A new Field Poll shows the former House speaker has displaced Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the prime challenger to Romney in the Golden State. Romney leads the field at 26 percent, with Gingrich close behind at 23 percent.
In Field's September survey, Romney had 30 percent with Perry at 22 percent. By late October, the Los Angeles Times/USC poll had businessman Herman Cain running second behind Romney with 20 percent.
Now Cain and Perry are stuck in single digits. The poll was taken before allegations that Cain had carried on a long-term extramarital affair.
"Gingrich is the new flavor of the month," said Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo. "It's like (voters are) trying on different suits."
The shifting voters are largely strongly conservative, tea party-identifying inland Californians who are looking for a more conservative alternative to Romney, DiCamillo said.
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