Romney leads Bachmann in matchup: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican Mitt Romney easily leads rival Michele Bachmann in a head-to-head matchup of the two top declared candidates for the party's 2012 presidential nomination, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, has a 40 percent to 23 percent lead over Bachmann among Republicans and independents. Among independents only, Romney's lead was 10 percentage points.

Romney has been a fragile front-runner in the Republican race to find a challenger to President Barack Obama in 2012. He leads in national polls and fund-raising, but many Republicans have been left cold by the party's candidates and urged others to jump in the race.

Bachmann, a U.S. representative from Minnesota and an outspoken social conservative, has made an early campaign splash with heavy backing from Tea Party fiscal conservatives, but her ability to broaden her support will be critical.

The poll showed nearly half of the independents surveyed, 49 percent, were undecided. Romney led among independents by 27 percent to 17 percent.

"Bachmann is getting some support from independents, which is good news for her," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark.

Some polls show Bachmann leading in Iowa, which kicks off the nominating battle and has an influential base of social and religious conservatives. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who was popular with the conservative base, won Iowa in 2008 but could not duplicate that success elsewhere.

The poll of 1,173 adults, including 989 registered voters, was taken on Friday through Monday and had an overall margin of error of 3 percentage points.

It surveyed 444 Republicans, with a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points, and 221 independents, with a margin of error of 6.6 percentage points.

(Editing by Xavier Briand)

Bachmann enters US Republican race

27 June 2011 Last updated at 15:05 GMT Conservative Ms Bachmann announced her candidacy in Iowa

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann has become the latest Republican to announce a bid for the US presidency in 2012.

Ms Bachmann, a favourite of the economically conservative Tea Party movement, formally declared in the US state of Iowa - her birthplace.

The 55-year-old, who is running high in Republican polls in Iowa, called herself a "bold choice" for president.

Iowa is the first state Republicans vote in for their 2012 candidate.

Its caucuses in early February are the first electoral event in the US presidential nomination process.

Ms Bachmann said she was announcing her candidacy because she was "so profoundly grateful for the blessing I have received, both from God and this great country".

"My name is Michele Bachmann, I stand here in the midst of many friends and many family members to announce formally my candidacy for president of the United States," she said.

'Real solutions'

Speaking in the town of Waterloo, Ms Bachmann said Americans should not stand for overpriced health care, increasing amounts of debt and continued unemployment, all of which are trademarks of the Obama administration.

"More than ever, Washington is the problem, and the real solutions will come from our businesses, our communities, our schools and the most basic and powerful unit of all-our families," she said.

"Americans agree that our country is in peril today and we must act with urgency to save it," Ms Bachmann added.

A poll of 400 party members there shows Ms Bachmann virtually tied with frontrunner Mitt Romney, with 22% of the support.

BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says Republicans feel that next year's presidential election is winnable if only they have a candidate who sparkles - and Michele Bachmann is the latest to catch their eye.

She is already a darling of the Tea Party movement for her plain talking and forthright conviction politics.

While she has made her share of harsh statements - seen by opponents as gaffes - some think she has many of Sarah Palin's qualities with fewer of the drawbacks, our correspondent adds.

Ms Bachmann stresses her record as a tax lawyer and founder of a charter school, as well as repeating frequently that she is a mother of five children and foster mother to 23.

She is an economic conservative who says she will not vote to raise America's debt limit and is urging big tax cuts.

And Ms Bachmann is also a social conservative - a born-again Christian and a fierce opponent of abortion and gay marriage.

That goes down well with Republicans in Iowa, but may not be such a draw to those in the middle ground, our correspondent says.