Mitt Romney, 2016 frontrunner*

Richard Ellis/Getty Images

Mitt Romney, 2016 frontrunner*
(Image credit: Richard Ellis/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney may have lost the 2012 election, but a decent chunk of Republicans are willing to give the former Massachusetts governor a second look. Thirty-four percent of Republicans say they could definitely back Romney in the 2016 GOP primary, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, the highest number recorded for any Republican. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee tied for second at 15 percent.

Now, the poll didn't test candidates against each other. But Romney did take top honors this month in a horse race poll of the New Hampshire GOP primary.

That said, Romney insists he won't run, and even were he to do so, there are many, many reasons to believe he would flop. And the survey comes with the standard caveat that it's way too early to put much faith in horse race polls or declare a true frontrunner at this point.

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