The 2016 race for the Republican nomination is wide open, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton maintains a commanding lead on the Democratic side but is showing vulnerability, a new poll has found.
According to a
Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted May 28-May 31 of 1,001 adults, no GOP candidate receives more than 11 percent support while seven candidates are within three points of one another.
"At this point, the Post-ABC poll finds the Republican field is largely a muddled mass, underscoring just how wide open the race continues to be and foreshadowing likely movement among the candidates as voters get to know them better," the Post said.
The poll found that:
- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul top the poll at 11 percent among Republicans and Republican-leaning independent registered voters.
- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio each get 10 percent support.
- The rest of the 16 candidates tested receive single-digit support.
The six candidates behind the top four, in order of support, were:
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
- Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson
- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
- Businessman Donald Trump
The new poll contrasts significantly from the one conducted in March, which put Bush in the lead at 21 percent, eight points ahead of Walker's second-place finish. The Post said that Bush's lead has been cut due to other candidates jumping into the race.
"Whether that is a temporary condition or indicative of deeper problems for his candidacy is not clear," the Post said.
On the Democratic side, while Clinton continues to dominate, her favorability ratings have taken a hit amid stories about her use of personal email while at the State Department and fundraising issues with the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton's favorability ratings are the lowest since the poll began ranking them in 2008, when she first ran for president, at 45 percent who view her positively compared to 49 percent who view her negatively. In addition, 41 percent of Americans say she is honest and trustworthy compared to 52 percent who say she is not. That's a loss of 22 points in the past year, the Post said.
"The decline in Clinton's ratings as a candidate who is honest and trustworthy highlights a likely vulnerability as a general-election candidate.
"Half of all Americans disapprove of the way she has handled questions about the Clinton Foundation, and 55 percent disapprove of how she has handled questions about her personal e-mails as secretary of state," the Post said.