There’s no contest for the 2016 Democratic nomination in a new Quinnipiac University poll, but on the GOP side Tea Party candidates have seen their fortunes rise in the latest measure of presidential support.
Hillary Clinton continues to dominate the very early horse race, both in the fight for the Democratic nomination and in hypothetical general election matchups.
Clinton takes 61% of the field, with Vice President Joe Biden in a distant second place at 11% support.
Freshman Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who’s gotten buzz lately among the progressive wing of the party, takes 7%, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is at 2%.
The GOP side is far from clear. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky tops the list, taking 17%. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s had a bit of a feud with Paul, isn’t far behind at 13%. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is third at 12%, dropping since topping the list in April. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush takes 11%, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan have 10% each.
But it’s Tea Party-backed candidates who are still capturing more of the overall vote in what could be a fractious primary for the GOP in three years. Paul, Rubio and Cruz combine to take 39% of the vote, while the more establishment Christie, Bush and Ryan take 34% together.
“Over the last several months, Sen. Marco Rubio’s star has fallen a bit and Sen. Rand Paul’s has risen a bit, while Gov. Jeb Bush, Gov. Christopher Christie and Congressman Paul Ryan have essentially been flickering in place,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
But it’s the former secretary of state who has the commanding lead overall in the race.
In hypothetical general election matchups, Clinton tops the leading Republicans, leading Christie 49%-36%, topping Paul 53%-36% and crushing Cruz 54%-31%.
Jessica Taylor