Two national polls released Monday show there is a new leader in the race for the Republican presidential nomination as former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich edges former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts to lead the fluid contest to see who will emerge to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.

A USA Today/Gallup poll unveiled Monday morning finds Gingrich topping the field with 22 percent, with Romney on his heels at 21 percent. Businessman Herman Cain takes third with 16 percent followed by two candidates from Texas -- U.S. Rep. Ron Paul with 9 percent and Gov. Rick Perry with 8 percent. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota places a distant sixth with 4 percent. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania lag behind with 1 percent each.

The poll of 946 Republican and Republican-leaning independents was taken Nov. 13-17 with a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

A CNN/ORC International Poll released on Monday afternoon also found Gingrich leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates.

Gingrich takes 24 percent in the national poll while Romney is within the margin of error at 20 percent. Last week, a CNN/ORI poll had Romney ahead 24 percent with Gingrich in second with 22 percent.

The CNN/ORC poll found Cain is in third. He takes 17 percent -- down from 25 percent in a CNN/ORC poll from October. Perry stands in fourth with 11 percent. Paul takes fifth with 9 percent followed by Bachmann with 5 percent. Santorum and Huntsman take 3 percent apiece.

The poll of 402 Republicans and independents leaning toward the GOP was taken from Nov. 18-20 and had a margin of error of +/- 5 percent. 

A third poll released on Monday finds that Romney is leading in New Hampshire, home of the first primary. A poll of likely Republican primary voters unveiled by American Research Group on Monday found Romney tops the field with 33 percent followed by Gingrich in second with 22 percent. Paul  takes third with 12 percent. Cain garners 9 percent followed by Huntsman with 8 percent. Perry and Bachmann are knotted together with 2 percent each, followed by three candidates -- former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico, former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana and Santorum -- with 1 percent each.

The poll of 600 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters was taken from Nov. 16-20 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.