Of the top potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) seems to be the most competitive against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in three key swing states, according to a new Quinnipiac Poll released Wednesday.
In matchups in Colorado, Iowa, and Virginia, Clinton leads Paul but the Kentucky senator is still competitive. In Colorado, Clinton leads Paul 43 percent to 41 percent; in Iowa, Clinton leads Paul 45 percent to 37 percent; and in Virginia Clinton leads Paul 44 percent to 42 percent.
The poll’s findings came a day after news broke that Paul would likely announce his presidential campaign in early April.
By contrast, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush trails Clinton 44 percent to 36 percent in Colorado, 45 percent to 35 percent in Iowa, and is tied with Clinton in Virginia, 42 percent to 42 percent.
Another likely top 2016 Republican contender, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, just barely trails Clinton in Colorado, 42 percent to 40 percent. In Iowa, Walker trails Clinton 45 percent to 35 percent. In Virginia, Clinton leads Walker 45 percent to 40 percent.
In each of the three swing states, Clinton doesn’t quite hit the 50 percent approval, but she gets close. In Colorado, 46 percent said they have a favorable view of her while 47 percent said they have an unfavorable view. In Iowa, 49 percent said they have a favorable view of her while 40 percent said they have an unfavorable view. In Virginia, 48 percent said they have a favorable view while 44 percent said they have an unfavorable view.
The Quinnipiac Poll was conducted February 5 to February 15. 1,049 voters were surveyed in Colorado; 1,089 voters were surveyed in Iowa; and 1,074 voters were surveyed in Virginia. In each survey, the margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
See the full poll results here.