Public Policy poll shows Hovde leading all GOP Senate candidates

WISCONSIN -- The latest Public Policy Polling poll (released Tuesday, July 31st) shows Eric Hovde leading all Republican candidates in the race for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat.

Voters take to the polls in about two weeks (August 14th) and absentee voting has begun in this race.

The poll finds Hovde leading with 28%, to 25% for Tommy Thompson and Mark Neumann and 13% for Jeff Fitzgerald.

The PPP poll finds Thompson has seen a precipitous decline in his standing with GOP voters over the last five months. In February he was at 39%. By early July he had dropped to 29%, and he's continued to decline -- now to his 25% standing.

Neumann has gained 10 points over the last month to go from 15% to 25%. In early July he trailed Hovde by 20 points, 32-12, with those voters describing themselves as 'very conservative.' Now he's pulled into a tie with Hovde at 28%.

PPP surveyed 400 likely Republican primary voters on July 30th and 31st. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.9%.

The GOP candidate will take on Democrat Tammy Baldwin in the general election.

Results are as follows below...

Q1 Do you plan to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary for the US Senate next month, or do you not plan to vote in a primary?
Democratic primary......................................... 0%
Republican primary........................................100%
Don't plan to vote in a primary ........................ 0%

Q2 The Republican candidates for Senate are Jeff Fitzgerald, Eric Hovde, Mark Neumann, and Tommy Thompson. If the election was today, who would you vote for?
Jeff Fitzgerald ................................................. 13%
Eric Hovde ...................................................... 28%
Mark Neumann ............................................... 25%
Tommy Thompson .......................................... 25%
Undecided....................................................... 9%

Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jeff Fitzgerald?
Favorable........................................................ 43%
Unfavorable .................................................... 21%
Not sure .......................................................... 36%

Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Eric Hovde?
Favorable........................................................ 50%
Unfavorable .................................................... 30%
Not sure .......................................................... 20%

Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Mark Neumann?
Favorable........................................................ 49%
Unfavorable .................................................... 35%
Not sure .......................................................... 16%

Q6 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Tommy Thompson?
Favorable........................................................ 47%
Unfavorable .................................................... 41%
Not sure .......................................................... 12%

Q7 If the Republican candidates for Senate were just Eric Hovde, Mark Neumann, and Tommy Thompson, who would you vote for?
Eric Hovde ...................................................... 33%
Mark Neumann ............................................... 27%
Tommy Thompson .......................................... 30%
Not sure .......................................................... 10%

Q8 If the Republican candidates for Senate were just Eric Hovde and Tommy Thompson, who would you vote for?
Eric Hovde ...................................................... 48%
Tommy Thompson .......................................... 41%
Not sure .......................................................... 12%

Q9 If the Republican candidates for Senate were just Mark Neumann and Tommy Thompson, who would you vote for?
Mark Neumann ............................................... 47%
Tommy Thompson .......................................... 42%
Not sure .......................................................... 11%

Q10 Generally speaking, would you prefer that the Republican Senate nominee next year was Tommy Thompson or someone more conservative?
Tommy Thompson .......................................... 29%
Someone more conservative .......................... 58%
Not sure .......................................................... 13%

Q11 Would you say you are very excited, somewhat excited, or not that excited about voting in the primary election?
Very excited .................................................... 42%
Somewhat excited .......................................... 34%
Not that excited............................................... 24%

Q12 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ........................................................... 49%
Man................................................................. 51%

Q13 If you are 18 to 45 years old, press 1. If 46 to 65, press 2. If you are older than 65, press 3.
18 to 45........................................................... 24%
46 to 65........................................................... 42%
Older than 65.................................................. 34%

Q14 Are you an Evangelical Christian, or not?
Are an Evangelical.......................................... 51%
Are not ............................................................ 49%

Q15 Do you consider yourself to be a member of the Tea Party?
Yes.................................................................. 26%
No ................................................................... 64%
Not sure .......................................................... 10%

Q16 Would you describe yourself as very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ...................................................... 3%
Somewhat liberal ............................................ 4%
Moderate......................................................... 19%
Somewhat conservative.................................. 38%
Very conservative ........................................... 37%

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