According to a poll by Hamden-based Quinnipiac University, recently announced presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has taken a hit from coverage of her use of a personal email account while conducting official business when she was Secretary of State and is losing ground to Republican presidential candidates in key swing states ”“ Colorado, Iowa and Virginia ”“ with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul her closest competitor.
The April 9 poll showed Paul leading in Colorado, with 44 percent to Clinton”™s 41 percent, and in Iowa, 43 percent to 42 percent. In Virginia, Clinton leads with 47 percent of the vote, but Paul is close behind with 43 percent.
In Iowa and Colorado, the poll showed all Republican contenders ”“ U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ”“ are on Clinton”™s heels and within 4 points.
According to the poll, Clinton has lost ground in almost every matchup in Colorado and Iowa since a Feb. 18 “Swing State Poll” by Quinnipiac.
“Ominous for Hillary Clinton is the broad scope of the movement today compared to her showing in Quinnipiac University’s mid-February survey. It isn’t just one or two Republicans who are stepping up; it’s virtually the entire GOP field that is running better against her,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, in a statement.
“That’s why it is difficult to see Secretary Clinton’s slippage as anything other than a further toll on her image from the furor over her email,” he said.
In Colorado, Clinton has a negative, 41-to-51 percent favorability rating, compared with 46 to 47 percent in February.
Iowa voters gave Clinton a split 45-to-47 percent favorability rating, down from 49 to 40 percent in the Feb. 18 poll.
“In all three of these states, more, and in Colorado many more, registered voters say she is not honest and trustworthy,” Brown added. “Voters do think she is a strong leader ”“ a key metric ”“ but unless she can change the honesty perception, running as a competent but dishonest candidate has serious potential problems.”
One bright spot for Clinton is Virginia, the largest of the three states, where she leads all Republicans, including 47 to 40 percent over Bush, compared to a 42-to-42 percent tie in February.
