Wisconsin boasts two possible presidential contenders for the 2016 race, but a recent poll shows neither of them would beat former Secretary of State Hilliary Clinton in their own state.
Gov. Scott Walker and Rep. Paul Ryan, both Republicans, would lose in Wisconsin if put head to head with Clinton, a
Marquette Law School poll showed.
Clinton would best Ryan 48 percent to 44 percent in the survey of 717 registered voters taken May 6-9, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. She leads Walker 50 percent to 42 percent.
Marquette pollster Charles Franklin admitted that the numbers can't predict an actual outcome more than three years before the election, but added that the poll does offer a barometer of how Wisconsin views both men as national candidates.
Ryan, who was Mitt Romney's vice presidential nominee in 2012, came out better against Clinton than every other Republican in the survey. Others tested were Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
Walker also polled highest among GOP voters to be the Republican nominee in 2016.
Among 302 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, Ryan was the pick of 27 percent. Rubio was next at 21 percent, followed by Walker at 16 percent, Christie at 11 percent, Paul at 7 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 5 percent and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 1 percent.
On the Democratic side 62 percent of Wisconsin voters preferred Clinton. Vice President Joe Biden was a distant second with 13 percent, followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 5 percent New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at 4 percent.