Benefiting from recent signs of improvement in the U.S. economy, President Barack Obama leads Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney in a potential general election matchup, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The poll showed that 51 percent of registered voters would vote for Obama, while 45 percent would vote for Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts.
The latest results compare to a poll conducted in mid-January that showed Romney with a 48 percent to 46 percent lead over Obama.
Obama benefited from an increase in his overall approval rating, which rose to 50 percent in the latest poll from 48 percent in the previous poll. Approval of Obama's handling of the economy rose to 44 percent from 41 percent.
The poll showed that Obama has a somewhat more substantial lead over former Newt Gingrich, who is seen as Romney's main rival for the Republican nomination.
Fifty-four percent of registered voters said that they would vote for Obama, while 43 percent said that they would vote for Gingrich.
The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted February 1st through 4th and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
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