Poll: Clinton Leads Christie in Pa.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead over Gov. Chris Christie in Pennsylvania, a poll released Tuesday found.

If the 2016 presidential election were held today, and the candidates were Clinton and Christie, Clinton would win, 50 to 39 percent, the Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday found.

“New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie fares better than other potential GOP candidates against Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, but despite his ‘neighbor’ status, he is nowhere close to challenging a candidate who is riding a tsunami of support from women,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

If the Republican candidate were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Clinton would win 50 to 35 percent, the poll found.

Likewise, if the Republican candidate were:

• U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Clinton would win 53 to 34 percent;
• former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Clinton would win 54 to 34 percent; and
• former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Clinton would win 54 to 34 percent.

“While would-be Republican presidential candidates, even Native Son Rick Santorum, absorb less than stellar favorability numbers, Clinton has the closest thing to rock star ratings a politician can get in America today,” Malloy said. “Pennsylvania, which just elected a Democratic governor, is shaping up early in the campaign season as the bluest of the Swing States.”

Quinnipiac University polled 881 Pennsylvania voters, calling landlines and cell phones, from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1. The margin of error was 3.3 percent.

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