Christie leads 2016 Republican field in New Hampshire, poll showsThe Star-Ledger By Brent Johnson | The Star-Ledger
July 11, 2014
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's presidential prospects have brightened in the critical state of New Hampshire, according to a poll released today.
But the story would apparently be different if Mitt Romney entered the race.
The WMUR Granite State Poll of residents in New Hampshire — which hosts the nation's first presidential primary — showed Christie leading all possible candidates for the 2016 Republican nomination for president.
Christie drew 19 percent of the vote, followed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky (14 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (11).
Rounding out the field, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal each had 5 percent, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas had 3, Texas Gov. Rick Perry had 2, and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania each had 1. All other candidates received less than 1 percent, and 15 percent said they were undecided.
With months to go before the GOP primary kicks into gear, no candidate has officially declared and the race still appears to be wide open.
But today's poll shows Christie — whose administration has been beset by multiple investigations at home, including two over the George Washington Bridge scandal — is bouncing back in New Hampshire. His 19 percent standing is higher than his showing in April (14 percent); in January (9), when the bridge controversy made the biggest splash nationally; and in October (16), before the issue erupted.
Christie, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, visited New Hampshire on a fundraising trip for GOP gubernatorial hopeful Walt Havenstein last month — just after surveys in this poll began. He is scheduled to return for another fundraiser on July 31.
Still, residents in the state appear to prefer Romney above anyone. The former Massachusetts governor, who lost the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama, has repeatedly said he has no plans to run again. But if he were to declare his candidacy, Romney would lead Christie 39 to 7 percent, according to today's poll.
That mirrors a separate poll of New Hampshire residents released last month. The Suffolk University/Boston Herald survey showed Christie neck-and-neck with Paul for the top spot among likely GOP candidates — but Romney out in front of both of them by a 3-to-1 margin when added to the mix.
In addition, only 10 percent of respondents in today's poll said they view Christie favorably. At the same time, 16 percent said they would not vote for him under any circumstances — the highest percentage of any possible Republican contender.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton remains the clear frontrunner. Clinton — the former First Lady, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of State — leads all possible Democratic primary contenders at 59 percent.
In a distant second is Vice President Joe Biden at 14 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (8 percent), U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (5), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (3), and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia (1). All other contenders received less than 1 percent, and 9 percent said they are undecided.
Still, Clinton's support is down 15 percentage points from her 74 percent showing in the group's January poll.
Today's survey was conducted over the phone from June 19 to July 1 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, polling 669 adults in the state. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.8 percent.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/07/christie_leads_2016_republican_field_in_new_hampshire_poll_shows.html