A new poll by Public Policy Polling found former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading Gov. Scott Walker in his home state by nine points in a potential 2016 presidential matchup.
The poll also found that Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., topped Walker in Wisconsin, a state that has not gone to a Republican since Ronald Reagan. The results coincide with a sharp drop in Walker’s approval rating from 49 percent prior to his re-election to a current 43 percent. His appeal among Wisconsin independents has also fallen from 48 to 36 percent over the same period.
In September 2013, Walker trailed Clinton by five points.
Clinton’s lead on Walker was larger than on other possible Republican contenders, including Rand Paul, over whom Clinton had a six point lead, and Mike Huckabee, over whom she had a seven point lead. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie trails with Walker at nine points.
While his approval at home sinks, Walker’s appeal among the nation’s Republican base continues to soar. Fresh off a second place finish at the CPAC straw poll in February, Tuesday’s poll found that 53 percent of Wisconsin Republicans want him to be their presidential nominee.
PPP President Dean Debnam said in a statement Walker’s numbers are a result of policies that have alienated independent voters.
“Walker’s never been stronger than he is now with Republicans but he’s also antagonized the middle in a way that could make it harder for him to win Wisconsin when he’s running against a politician of Hillary Clinton’s caliber,” Debnam said in the statement.
