A new Marquette Law School poll released Thursday reported a tightened Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., while Republican candidate Donald Trump maintained his lead among likely Wisconsin voters.
For the first time, Sanders leads Clinton in Wisconsin by one point in the latest poll, 44 percent to 43.
The poll represents the state’s newest set of data since the PBS debate held in Milwaukee Feb. 11. Although the race remains close, Clinton has lost the nine-point lead she once held in November.
On the Republican side, Trump continues to dominate the field with a 10-point lead over Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., with 30 percent of likely voters.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, followed close behind Rubio at 19 percent while Ben Carson and Ohio Gov. John Kasich each garnered 8 percent. Trump’s lead has grown since January, when he only led by six points.
“If the two races are still going [in April], we’re going to have a lot of fun,” poll director Charles Franklin said at an event announcing the poll.
In the race for U.S. Senate, Russ Feingold continues to lead U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., winning 49 percent of likely voters versus Johnson’s 37 percent. Feingold has led Johnson by at least 12 points since November, maintaining a strong showing among voters heading into April’s election.
After the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the poll also asked Wisconsinites whether President Barack Obama should be allowed to appoint a new justice.
Fifty-one percent of likely voters said a new justice should be appointed immediately, while 40 percent agreed that an appointment should occur after the presidential election.
