Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is emerging as a clear favorite of Republican conservatives, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is winning strong support among party centrists and liberals, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Overall, Walker gets 18 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaners, while Bush gets 16 percent. The poll was taken starting Feb. 26, the first day potential candidates appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a gathering of thousands of activists in suburban Washington, D.C., through March 2.
Far behind in the survey were New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 8 percent each, retired neursurgeon Ben Carson, 7 percent, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, 6 percent each and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, 5 percent. Seventeen percent were undecided. All but Huckabee spoke at the conference.
The poll produced one big loser, as 51 percent said they definitely wouldn’t vote for real estate developer Donald Trumpand another one-fourth said t hey probably wouldn’t pick him.
Among those who said they were very conservative, Walker was the clear choice with 34 percent support. Bush, Carson and Huckabee were next, all at 10 percent.
But among those who were somewhat conservative, Bush got 19 percent to Walker’s 15 percent. And among moderates and liberals, Bush also got 19 percent while Walker sank to 5 percent.