Clinton still leads the potential 2016 Democratic field with 63% of the vote in her party. Dem 2016 poll: Clinton still on top

The renewed interest in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack at the U.S. post in Benghazi, Libya, has not shaken Hillary Clinton’s position among potential 2016 contenders, according to a new poll.

The former secretary of state — under fire by conservatives who say she played politics with the attack in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others were killed — still leads the potential 2016 Democratic field with 63 percent of the vote in her party, according to a Public Policy Polling poll released Wednesday.


Vice President Joe Biden comes in at second with 13 percent. No other candidate polled higher than 4 percent. The poll was conducted between May 6 and May 9, 2013 — just as the hearings on the Hill were heating up.

( PHOTOS: Who’s talking about Hillary 2016?)

“Benghazi isn’t having much impact on Hillary Clinton’s viability in a potential 2016 campaign,” said PPP President Dean Debnam in a statement. “She continues to lead the Democratic field and the top Republican candidate possibilities.”

Last month, PPP had Clinton leading with 64 percent.

Among GOP-ers, it’s a four-way tie between Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Rubio has 16 percent among GOP-ers, while Christie and Bush are split at 15 percent a piece; Paul comes in at 14 percent. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) came in at 9 percent, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) at 7 percent and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum at 5 percent. No other candidate had more than 5 percent.

Last month, PPP had Rubio leading with 21 percent.

PPP pollsters surveyed 589 Democratic primary voters and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points among Democrats. PPP pollsters also surveyed 806 GOP primary voters and that portion of the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.