---
title: "Many Voters Unaware of Basic Facts about GOP Candidates"
description: "Many voters do not know basic facts about the Republican candidates running for president. Only about half (53%) identify Massachusetts as the state where Mitt Romney served as governor."
date: "2012-01-17"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/01/17/many-voters-unaware-of-basic-facts-about-gop-candidates/"
---

# Many Voters Unaware of Basic Facts about GOP Candidates

Many voters do not know basic facts about the Republican candidates running for president. Only about half (53%) of people identify Massachusetts as the state where Mitt Romney served as governor. Among Republicans, 59% correctly identify Massachusetts, according to a survey conducted Jan. 4-8 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Only 44% of all voters could name Ron Paul as the GOP candidate who opposes U.S. involvement in Afghanistan; this number rises to just over half (51%) among Republicans.

Voters were more aware of Newt Gingrich’s background — 69% knew that he served as speaker of the house. About three-quarters (76%) of Republicans correctly identified Gingrich as the candidate who formerly served in this position. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2012/01/12/many-voters-unaware-of-basic-facts-about-gop-candidates/?src=prc-number)