Former Governor Tommy Thompson is the preferred candidate among Republicans to fill the seat being vacated by U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, according to a new Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.
Poll Director Charles Franklin says Thompson’s support hasn’t changed from the previous poll. “So Thompson’s still at about the same point, 35 percent compared to 34 percent last time. But (Businessman and political newcomer Eric) Hovde has gone from the 14 percent last time to 23 this time, a 9-point jump, which is pretty substantial and moves him from slightly in third place to pretty solidly in second place.”
Franklin also says with less than five weeks before the primary election in August, former Congressman Mark Neumann trails in third with 10 percent, down from 16 in June, while Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald is at 6 percent, down from 10. A quarter of likely voters remain undecided, the same as in the June survey.
In the November general election, Franklin says all four matchups against Democrat Tammy Baldwin are within the margin of error.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:16