Thompson, Obama lead in latest Marquette poll

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A new poll shows Tommy Thompson still ahead in the Republican Senate primary, and Barack Obama continuing to lead the presidential race in Wisconsin.

The poll, by Marquette University Law School, interviewed about 600 likely voters late last week. In the Republican Senate primary, Tommy Thompson polled at 34 percent, with Mark Neumann at 16 percent, Eric Hovde at 14 percent and Jeff Fitzgerald with 10 percent. The poll also shows Thompson continues to lead likely Democratic nominee Tammy Baldwin in a hypothetical matchup, while the other Republicans either trail or tie Baldwin. But Marquette pollster Charles Franklin says the GOP contest isn’t over, because 25 percent of poll respondents are undecided about the race.

Professor Franklin says the gubernatorial recall election may have distracted some GOP voters from making up their minds about the Senate contest. In Marquette’s presidential poll, President Obama leads likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney 49 to 43 percent. The poll was done before Romney’s visit to Janesville, however, and as various groups plan to ramp up their efforts in Wisconsin. So Franklin says that race isn’t over, either.

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The new Marquette poll also shows increased support for limiting recall elections in Wisconsin.