Gingrich Plans Push in Iowa

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich apparently has decided one of his best hopes to move his campaign forward is to set up shop in Iowa.

Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond told Patch back in September that an Iowa campaign office would open in the middle of October. That never happened.

Today, though, Hammond told Patch that Gingrich will not open just one office, but five of them around Iowa — and soon.

"There are plans for it to happen," Hammond said in a phone interview. "We're in the final stages of interviewing staff."

Gingrich may be sensing a bit of momentum in Iowa from recent events. Last month, speaking at a gathering of evangelicals along with all the major candidates except Mitt Romney, Gingrich's performance was roundly seen as the best of the bunch.

And earlier this week, Patch reported that 32 percent of Iowa respondents in the Patch-Huffington Post survey of influential Republicans said there is a good chance they will endorse the former Speaker of the House.

"We've seen several rabbits run by and then fall asleep, so now we just want to keep moving forward," Gingrich said in Washington last week.

Jumping ahead in Iowa have been Romney and Herman Cain, who pollsters say were in a virutal tie last week among likely caucus-goers.

They are both skipping the Republican Party of Iowa's annual in Des Moines this week. Gingrich will speak.