A new Public Policy Polling survey predict big numbers for Paul and Clinton in 2016. | AP Photos Paul, Clinton, atop N.H. 2016 poll

Sen. Rand Paul is the frontrunner in a hypothetical New Hampshire GOP primary, though Hillary Clinton would beat him in a general election after scoring a landslide victory in a Democratic primary if she jumped in, a new poll says.

According to a survey posted on Thursday from Public Policy Polling, Paul (R-Ky.) is the favorite for the Republican 2016 nod, with 28 percent of those polled picking him. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) earned 25 percent of the vote; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was favored by 14 percent; 11 percent were unsure or wanted another option, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) each got 7 percent.


On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads the way with 68 percent support. Vice President Joe Biden, in second place, is favored by 12 percent of those surveyed. In a match-up, Clinton leads Paul 52-41 percent and Rubio 52-38 percent.

Among independents — key voters in New Hampshire’s typically first-in-the-nation GOP presidential primary, PPP noted — Paul led Rubio 32-17 percent.

PPP also reported that Paul has enjoyed a major bounce since a November poll that had him clocking in at 4 percent.

The poll of 933 New Hampshire voters — “as well as 368 usual Democratic primary voters and 409 Republican primary voters” — was conducted April 19-21. The margin of error for the overall sample is plus-or-minus 3.2 percent, with that figure clocking in at 5.1 percent for the Democratic part and 4.9 percent for the Republican part.