Gingrich couldn’t have picked a better time to surge.

(The Hill) — Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney nationally for the first time in a month, according to the latest Gallup daily tracking poll.

Gingrich took 31 percent, followed by Romney at 27 percent, and Ron Paul and Rick Santorum at 12 percent each.

After a surprising and brief surge in December, Gingrich took the lead for the first time, capping out at 37 percent before a swift descent led to Romney regaining the lead in late December.

That began a sharp rise for Romney in which he also capped out at 37 percent only one week ago.