BOSTON (Reuters) – Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney leads potential Republican primary opponents in the early voting state of New Hampshire, but celebrity candidate Donald Trump has substantial support, according to a new poll.

Public Policy Polling's survey, released on Tuesday, showed 31 percent support for Romney, who many see as the front-runner for the Republican nomination to go up against Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

That was similar to the 32 percent that Romney received in the state's 2008 primary, when he finished second to John McCain, but down from 40 percent when the group last polled in November. Romney has not officially announced a bid.

"Mitt Romney's looked like the runaway favorite in all of our New Hampshire polling to date," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.

New Hampshire will hold its primary on Feb 14, 2012. Candidates jockey for position in the first-in-the-nation primary, which often sets the tone for the campaign season.

Behind Romney were former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee with 15 percent support, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich at 13 percent, and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, each at 10 percent.

Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota governor, and Minnesota Congresswoman and Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann each got 4 percent support, while 12 percent were undecided.

The surprise was Trump, real estate magnate and host of TV show "The Apprentice," who has hinted at a long-shot bid for the nomination.

If Trump were to run, some 21 percent of New Hampshire Republicans said they would vote for him, dropping support for Romney down to 27 percent and eating away at votes for most other candidates.

"Donald Trump's the first person to hold (Romney ) to a single digit lead. He really could prove to be a serious candidate if he gets into the race." Debnam said.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 384 usual New Hampshire Republican primary voters from March 31 to April 3. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

(Reporting by Ros Krasny)

MADISON, Wis (Reuters) – A routine election for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat that became a referendum on the state's new curbs on unionized public employees appeared too close to call early on Wednesday with the incumbent clinging to a narrow lead.

With 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting and more than 1.44 million votes counted, incumbent Justice David Prosser, who was backed by Republicans, held onto a narrow lead over JoAnne Kloppenburg, a candidate backed by Democrats and organized labor, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel newspaper and WTMJ-TV.

As of 12:41 a.m. Central time, Prosser had garnered 727,208 of the votes cast while Kloppenburg had tallied 725,205.

Officials in Eau Claire, Wisconsin were hand-counting ballots into the night, according to the website WisPolitics.com, which also reported that a number of absentee votes still needed to be counted.

If Prosser, a longtime Wisconsin judge and former Republican legislator, holds onto his lead, it will keep the state high court's 4-3 conservative majority intact.

A Prosser victory would be a setback for Democrats, who channeled their anger about the union restrictions into the Supreme Court election campaign as a proxy vote on Walker's policies.

The race was the first statewide contest since Republicans approved controversial restrictions on the union rights of Wisconsin's public workers last month.

It took on extra importance when opponents of the anti-union measure sued to have the restrictions overturned, a legal challenge that is likely to eventually be heard by the state Supreme Court.

Walker has defended the union restrictions, which eliminate most bargaining rights for public sector workers and require them to pay more for benefits, as a needed fiscal reform to help the state close a budget gap.

Critics saw the bill, which eliminates automatic deduction of union dues, as a Republican attack on the single biggest source of funding for the Democratic Party.

Wisconsin became a focal point of a national debate over labor relations, with massive protests at the state capital and a protracted battle in the state legislature. Several states are considering proposals similar to Wisconsin and union supporters fear the laws curbing collective bargaining could spread across the country.

Under Wisconsin law, election recounts are not automatic no matter how close the race. Candidates must request a recount and the cost is free provided the vote difference is less than one half of 1 percent. For margins greater than that candidates have to pay part or all of the costs, according to Wispolitics.

(Writing by James Kelleher; Editing by Greg McCune)

DENVER (Reuters) -A pot-growing trailer known as the "GrowBot" was stolen from a medical marijuana trade show in Denver over the weekend, and the owner on Tuesday offered a $5,000 reward for its return.

Greg Childre, who builds custom trailers for a variety of crops at his Georgia manufacturing plan, said the trailer was stolen from the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Denver late Sunday night.

The 28-foot long "GrowBot" trailer was driven out of the trade show parking lot in full view of security guards, Childre said.

Parking lot surveillance cameras captured the crime, but did not detect the license plates of the Dodge truck that hitched up the trailer and drove off, he said.

Childre told Reuters the trailer is computerized, and is stocked with grow lights and security devices.

"Anything you need to grow in a controlled environment," he said. "It has all the bells and whistles."

Childre said he builds the trailers for other crops, including mushrooms and blueberries, but most of his business is derived from the medical marijuana industry.

The trailer is valued at $50,000, and there was no marijuana inside the vehicle, he said.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)