Romney to Return to Iowa for Speech at Nationwide Insurance

After months of watching former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney from afar — largely through TV coverage of debates in other states or appearances on network political shows — a few Iowans will see Romney in person Wednesday.

The candidate, who has consistently stayed at or near the top of the GOP presidential pack, will speak to employees of Nationwide Insurance Wednesday morning. The event starts at 9:50 a.m. at the downtown Des Moines firm, 1100 Locust St.

The campaign's brief announcement of the stop gives no indication of other events in the state.

What do you think of Romney's absence from Iowa? Tell us in the comments section below.

According to the Des Moines Register's candidate tracker, Romney spent a day in western Iowa in October; before that his last appearances in the Hawkeye State were Aug. 10 and 11. The former governor did not take part in the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames Aug. 13, bypassed a discussion on manufacturing in Pella last month, and most recently was a no-show at .

A CNN/ORC International Poll released Tuesday shows Romney and Newt Gingrich favored among voters; 24 percent of Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters say they are most likely to support Gingrich for the nomination, with 20 percent backing Romney.

Gingrich's four-point margin over Romney is within the survey's sampling error, says the CNN story. 

Romney and the other GOP candidates will take part in a CNN debate in Washington, D.C., tonight focused on national security issues. The debate starts at 7 p.m. central time.

The focus of his Des Moines speech is not known.

If no other Iowa events are added to his schedule, Romney would next be back in the state Dec. 10 for a television debate.

His pre-Thanksgiving drop-in comes just 41 days before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.