HAMDEN — Connecticut voters follow the national trend and are leading toward the party front runners in the race for the presidency, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.
Donald Trump leads the race in a Republican presidential primary in Connecticut with 34 percent. That is his highest score in any Quinnipiac University state poll so far, but he’s behind the leading Democratic contenders in general election match-ups.
Dr. Ben Carson is second with 14 percent, with 11 percent for Carly Fiorina, 7 percent for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and 6 percent each for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. None of the other candidate top 4 percent, and 9 percent are undecided.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tops the field in the race for the Democratic nomination with 37 percent, down from 53 percent in a March 12 poll. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has 25 percent, with 18 percent for Vice President Joseph Biden and 12 percent undecided. Biden has not announced his candidacy.
As shown in other primary polls, Clinton and Trump have the worst overall favorability ratings among all voters of any of the leading candidates. Among GOP voters, 25 percent say they would definitely not vote for him. In the Democratic party contest, 16 percent of voters would definitely not vote for her.
Meanwhile, Biden’s favorability rating indicates Connecticut voters like him the best– 56-29 percent.
Doug Schwartz, who works with the poll, said Biden “enjoys a 2-to-1 favorability rating and this contrasts with Donald Trump, who has a negative favorability rating in Connecticut, Hillary Clinton also a negative favorability rating in Connecticut, Bush negative favorability rating–but Joe Biden very positively viewed.”
