NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds former secretary of state is first choice in Democratic primary, and that she would go on to defeat Republican opponents
Source: Hillary Clinton on course to win presidential election, poll says | US news | The Guardian
Hillary Clinton is on course to win the Democratic primary and would go on to trounce her Republican opponents, according to a new poll.
The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that the former secretary of state was the first choice for nominee of 75% of her party, with Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders far behind on 15%.
Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor, was on 2%, while Lincoln Chafee, the former governor of Rhode Island, polled less than 1%. Former Virginia senator Jim Webb, who has not yet formally declared he is running, was on 4%.
According to the poll, 92% of likely Democratic voters said they could see themselves supporting Clinton.
The poll asked 1,000 likely voters about their opinions on potential presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat.
It showed Clinton polling at 48% to 40% against her closest Republican contender, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, the brother of former president George W Bush and son of former president George HW Bush.
Against the Florida senator Marco Rubio, Clinton polled 50% against 40%. And against Wisconsin governor Scott Walker she polled 51% to 37%.
Among Republican primary voters, the poll showed Bush ahead with 22% of the vote. Walker was next with 17% and Rubio third with 14%. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson had 11%, while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (9%), libertarian senator Rand Paul (7%), former Texas governor Rick Perry (5%), New Jersey governor Chris Christie (4%) and Texas senator Ted Cruz (4%) were all in single figures.
The poll is likely to encourage the Clinton camp, whose campaign got off to a rough start when questions arose about Clinton’s use of personal email as secretary of state, this spring. But it is possible that early polls may not reflect the true strength of Clinton’s challengers.
Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urged all businesses to stop selling products with Confederate flag images on them, after Walmart and other retailers said they would pull such items. The businesses acted after last week’s attack on worshippers at a black church in Charleston. South Carolina leaders, including the governor, have called for a Confederate battle flag to be removed from the statehouse grounds.
