Ron Paul Top Three Among GOP Contenders in Gallup Poll

LAKE JACKSON, Texas - In a new Gallup survey , 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul takes third place among top GOP contenders and is within striking distance of second. The results, which are based on a survey of Republican and Republican-leaning independents, have Paul at 13 percent and ahead of most of the Republican primary field. These results come just a day after a newly released  Rasmussen poll showed him within 1 percent of President Obama in a head-to-head match up.

"The campaign is continuing to pick up momentum and energy," said Ron Paul 2012 Campaign Manager John Tate. "Dr. Paul is gaining ground in poll after poll, affirming that people are looking for real change instead of the status quo they are being offered from the establishment candidates."

Paul is coming off a strong finish in the Iowa Straw Poll, where he barely missed the top spot by less than one percent. In addition, recent surveys taken in both New Hampshire and Iowa show the Congressman in the top three of Republican contenders.

Another recent Gallup survey, conducted August 17-18, shows Paul only 2 points behind Obama in a general election match-up. In a similar head to head survey from last year done by Rasmussen, Paul actually drew a statistical dead heat with the President. And earlier this year in a survey by CNN, he did the best out of the other Republicans put up against Obama in a head-to-head poll.