2016 Poll finds Clinton slipping in Colorado and Iowa

Republican presidential hopefuls are gaining ground on Hillary Clinton in key swing states, according to a new poll.

In a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday, Clinton’s lead over Republicans like former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul has evaporated since February in Colorado and Iowa, while she still leads in Virginia.


In Colorado, Paul leads Clinton 44 percent to 41 percent and is virtually tied with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The former secretary of state holds a slight lead when matched up against former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

In Iowa, Clinton is almost tied with every Republican presidential hopeful, and her favorability rating is down in the state from a 49 percent in February to 45 percent in this latest poll.

Virginia seems to be a silver lining for Clinton, who is holding her lead against Bush 47 to 40 percent. In February, the two were tied at 42 percent. Clinton leads Paul in Virginia 47 percent to 43 percent.

“Ominous for Hillary Clinton is the broad scope of the movement today compared to her showing in Quinnipiac University’s mid-February survey. 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,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Peter Brown said in a press release.

“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.”

In Colorado, 42 percent of voters said that news of Clinton using a private email address and server will make them less likely to vote for the former secretary of state, while 55 said it will not affect their vote. Thirty-seven percent of Iowans said the scandal will make them less likely to vote for Clinton, and in Virginia 39 percent answered similarly.

This poll was conducted between March 29 and April 7 among 894 Colorado voters, 948 Iowa voters and 961 Virginia voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus about 3.2 percentage points.