A new Fox News poll shows that the state of the Republican race for president is as fluid as ever as the first filing deadlines approach, with Rick Perry's instant front-runner status fading away as Herman Cain makes a sudden leap to the top tier.
Even as some in the party cast about for a new candidate, it's former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holding steady with about 1 in 4 Republicans saying they'd back him as the party's nominee for the fourth consecutive poll.
At 23% in this survey, conducted from Sept. 25-27, that's good for first place. Perry comes in second at 19%, down from 29% in a poll conducted in late August, just after he entered the race. Cain, the former pizza executive, has jumped from 6% to 17%, placing him third.
And don't look now, but Newt Gingrich has also reached double digits, climbing from 3% to 11%. Michele Bachmann, once the darling of the field, is tied with Rick Santorum at the back of the pack with 3%.
