Governor Rick Perry losing popularity? (Creative commons)

In September, Perry was beating Mitt Romney with 29 percent of the vote. Romney had 25 percent. In new poll findings released, Romney’s percentage remains unchanged while Perry has dropped 13 points to 16 percent.

Perry’s decline in popularity is attributed to uneven performances in televised debates according to the Wall Street Journal.

The surprise finding in the new poll is the growing support for businessman Herman Cain. In September, Cain had four percent of the vote. Today, that number has risen to 16 percent, same as Perry’s.

The poll also asked potential Republican and Independent voters whether they would have wanted to see Sarah Palin and Chris Christie enter the race.  42 percent wanted to see Christie in while only 31 percent hoped Palin would step up and run. 

Reach writer Mike Vulpo here