Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, would have a significant lead over Republican Scott Brown in a 2014 U.S. Senate matchup, and Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s unfavorability rating increased by 7 percent following her vote against background checks on gun sales, according to a new poll by The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College.
The poll also found that in a 2016 matchup for president, Democrat Hillary Clinton would lead Republicans Chris Christie or Marco Rubio among New Hampshire voters.
The Rockefeller Center’s sixth annual New Hampshire State of the State Poll shows Shaheen leading Brown 44.2 percent to 29.5 percent in a hypothetical 2014 matchup for Senate. Former Massachusetts senator Brown has not said he would run against Shaheen, but recent visits to Republican political gatherings in the state have fueled speculation that he might run.
The State of the State Poll, released May 10, 2013, found that, in a race against State Sen. Jeb Bradley, a Republican, Shaheen also had a broad lead of 47.9 percent to 25.2 percent.
Looking ahead to a prospective 2016 presidential race, the poll found 37.1 percent of respondents would vote for Clinton and 32.3 percent for Christie if the election were held today. In a Clinton-Rubio matchup, 44.3 percent of respondents would vote for Clinton and 33.2 percent for Rubio.
Other poll results show that 76 percent of voters support universal background checks for firearms sales, and that New Hampshire residents are becoming more optimistic about the U.S. and New Hampshire economies and their personal economic futures.
Other national topics addressed in the poll include President Obama’s job performance and the federal budget deficit. State issues include same-sex marriage, expanded gambling, public education, the Northern Pass project, requiring photo identification for voting, and decriminalization of marijuana.
Students from the Rockefeller Center, led by Professor Ronald G. Shaiko, senior fellow and associate director of curricular programs at the Rockefeller Center, surveyed more than 400 registered New Hampshire voters over four days last month to get their results.
To view the full results, click here.
