Despite not having won a single Republican primary or state caucus, Ron Paul has said repeatedly that he can win against President Obama.

A recent poll confirms what the Texas congressman has been saying: that Paul can beat the president — in Iowa.

In the key swing state, Paul does better against Obama than any other Republican candidate. According to a poll by the Des Moines Register, Paul leads Obama by seven points, besting him 49 to 42 percent.

Rick Santorum tops Obama 48 to 44 percent, while Mitt Romney leads the incumbent 46 to 44 percent. Newt Gingrich would be the only candidate to be defeated by Obama, losing by 14 points, 51 to 37 percent.

The lawmaker from Lake Jackson wins by larger margin among young Iowans, taking 55 percent of the likely voters under 35, compared to Obama’s 39 percent. Obama dominated this demographic in the 2008 general election, winning 66 percent of the under-30 vote in Iowa.

Paul tops Obama by an even greater number among male likely voters, winning by 18 points, 54 to 36 percent.

Paul’s campaign cites this poll as evidence of his potential success as the Republican nominee. Jesse Benton, his national campaign chairman, said Paul is the only candidate who will be able to oust Obama from the White House.

“In order to win back the White House Republicans must nominate a candidate who can provide stark contrast with the failings of the current administration and Ron Paul is the only candidate advocating for something other than the dismal, status quo policies,” he said.

The Iowa Poll surveyed 611 likely voters between Feb. 12 and 15.