Romney, Gingrich neck and neck in South Carolina

Eight days before the South Carolina primary, a new poll shows Mitt Romney locked in statistical dead heat with Newt Gingrich in the Palmetto state.

The American Research Group (ARG) poll, conducted January 11-12, shows the former Massachusetts governor leading in South Carolina with 29 percent. The former House speaker comes in second with 25 percent support -- within the poll's 4-point margin of error.

Romney heads into the South Carolina primary with significant momentum after winning both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary -- an unprecedented move for any non-incumbent Republican. He placed fourth in South Carolina in the 2008 primary, but this time around, Romney has gained more traction in the state and has the support of conservatives like Gov. Nikki Haley. Romney's opponents have launched aggressive attacks against him, though attacks against his business record are starting to backfire.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul is polling in third at 20 percent in the ARG poll. Paul made the biggest gain's since ARG's last poll, which was conducted January 4-5. In that poll -- conducted just after Paul's third-place finish in Iowa but before his second-place finish in New Hampshire -- the congressman had just 9 percent support.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry skipped campaigning in New Hampshire in order to focus on the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary, but he only places fourth in the latest ARG poll at 9 percent.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, meanwhile won only 7 percent support in this new poll -- a huge drop from the 24 percent support he enjoyed in the ARG poll conducted after his strong second-place finish in Iowa. On Friday, Santorum zeroed in on Gingrich, making it clear he saw the former speaker as his biggest competitor in the race to be the "anti-Romney" candidate.