A new Rasmussen Reports poll has Republican voters nationally favoring pro-life New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and pro-life Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for the GOP nomination in 2016.
The 2016 presidential election is vitally important for pro-life advocates as it is an opportunity to return a pro-life president to the White House who could appointment members of the Supreme Court who could overturn Roe v. Wade, who could put pro-life policies back in place and sign pro-life laws to stop abortions.
The Rasmussen poll shows Christie holds a narrow lead among Republicans for the party’s 2016 presidential nomination, but even more GOP voters say he’s the candidate they least want to see nominated.
According to the polling firm:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that Christie earns 21% support when Republican voters are asked whom they would vote for if the party’s primary in their state were held today. Florida Senator Marco Rubio runs a close second with 18% of the GOP vote, followed by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush at 16% and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul with 15% of the vote.
Congressman Paul Ryan, the unsuccessful Republican vice presidential candidate in 2012, picks up 13% of the Republican vote, with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker dead last at six percent (6%). Just three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.
Ask these same Republicans, however, which candidate they would least like to see win the GOP nomination in 2016, and nearly one-in-three (31%) say they don’t want Christie. Only five percent (5%) feel that way about his closest rival, Rubio.
Sixteen percent (16%) of GOP voters say Paul is their least favorite, with 15% who say the same about Bush. Nine percent (9%) don’t want Walker. Six percent (6%) say Ryan is their least favorite nominee. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure yet.
Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming favorite among Democratic voters for her party’s nomination in 2016.
Voters are predicting a close race three years from now. Forty-two percent (42%) of all likely voters think the Democratic candidate is more likely to win, but 36% believe the GOP hopeful has a better chance. A sizable 22% are not sure. Democrats are slightly more confident than Republicans. Unaffiliated voters are narrowly divided.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of all voters say they would vote for Christie if the 2016 Republican presidential primary were held in their state today. Paul is a distant second with 13% support, closely followed by Rubio with 11% and Bush with 10%. Ryan earns seven percent (7%) of the vote, while Walker picks up six percent (6%). Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate, and 16% are undecided.
Among all likely voters, 21% say Bush is the candidate they would least like to see win the 2016 Republican nomination, with Christie in second at 18%. Fifteen percent (15%) don’t want Paul, while 11% rate Walker last on their list. Nine percent (9%) don’t want Ryan as the nominee, and seven percent (7%) rate Rubio as their least favorite.
