Just as he launches an offensive against Mitt Romney and prepares for an economic debate in New Hampshire Tuesday, there is some bad poll news for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The Washington Post and Bloomberg , sponsors of the debate scheduled for Tuesday, are out today with a poll that puts Rick Perry, who just recently was the Republican front-runner ,  in third place nationally among voters who lean Republican. Voters were asked, at the end of the Republican nomination process, who they “want to be the Republican candidate for President.”

Mitt Romney                    24 Herman Cain                     16 Rick Perry                          13 Ron Paul                               6 Michele Bachmann          4 Newt Gingrich                    3 Rick Santorum                   1 Jon Huntsman                   0 None of these (VOL.)      3

Even more devastating to Perry, was the question “which one do you think would do the most to improve the economy.”

Mitt Romney                   22 Herman Cain                   20 Rick Perry                        12 Ron Paul                             8 Newt Gingrich                  6 Michele Bachmann        3

Remember, the economy/jobs is supposed to be Perry’s number one issue.

Read the full poll.

**It should be noted that the margin of error on the poll is plus or minus 6 percent, which could mean Perry and Cain are statistically tied for second.