Mitt Romney’s favorability rating on the rise

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s favorability rating has spiked since the 2008 presidential primary, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.

The Republican’s favorability rating has climbed to 40 percent — a 10-point increase over the past 16 months. The Pew poll found that 28 percent of Americans view him unfavorably and another 32 percent don’t know.

Just days before Romney bowed out of the race last February, following the Super Tuesday primaries, 30 percent rated him favorably and 44 percent said they held an unfavorable opinion of him.