The drama over Hillary Clinton’s private email server as secretary of state seems to have damaged her reputation with voters in swing states, a new poll shows, providing a boost for Republican Sen. Rand Paul as he launches his presidential campaign.
In Colorado, 56% of registered voters said Clinton’s not honest and trustworthy, along with 49% in Iowa and 52% in Virginia, in a new Quinnipiac University Poll. Her favorability rating has dropped five points to 41%, in Iowa it dropped four points to 45%, and in Colorado it remained unchanged at 48%.
In a head to head matchup, Paul tops Clinton in Iowa and Colorado. Every other Republican in the poll matches up competitively against her, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The broad scope of improvement for Republicans in this poll, compared to Quinnipiac’s mid-February poll is “ominous” for Clinton, Peter Brown, assistant director of the poll, said in a statement, adding:
It isn’t just one or two Republicans who are stepping up; it’s virtually the entire GOP field that is running better against her.
That’s why it is difficult to see Secretary Clinton’s slippage as anything other than a further toll on her image from the furor over her e-mail.
A majority of voters in all three states said the email controversy is “very important” to their vote, and at least 54% said serious questions remain that Clinton needs to answer.
“Voters do think she is a strong leader, a key metric, but unless she can change the honesty perception, running as a competent but dishonest candidate has serious potential problems,” Brown said.
This report, by Rachel Stoltzfoos, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
