Washington

Poll: Economy Passes National Security as Top Voting Issue

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Economy Passes National Security as Top Voting Issue – Following major losses on Wall Street, 35 percent of voters say the economy is their top voting issue. National security, which was voters’ top concern in the wake of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, declined to 26 percent of voters, compared with 34 percent in the first week of December 2015.

  • National Security Declines by 10+ Points Among Women and Republicans:
    • National security issues have declined as the top voting issue among Republicans (48 to 37 percent), Independents (32 to 25 percent) and Democrats (21 to 17 percent) since the first week of December 2015.
    • National security issues have declined as the top voting issue among women (38 to 26 percent) but stayed the same among men (29 to 27 percent) since the first week of December 2015.


Trump Leads Cruz by 26% Nationally Among Republican Voters
– Trump maintains his commanding lead among registered voters and likely voters.

  • Results by gender: Trump has the backing of 43% of men and 35% of women.
  • Results by education: Trump’s support is lowest among voters with high education levels. He gets 43 percent of voters with less than a bachelor’s degree, 35 percent of voters with a bachelors degree and 24 percent of voters with a postgrad degree.
StateSenatorApproveDisapproveDon't know / No opinionMargin of Error
AlabamaRichard Shelby48%30%22%1%
AlabamaDoug Jones45%28%26%1%
AlaskaLisa Murkowski40%43%17%5%
AlaskaDan Sullivan34%38%28%5%
ArizonaJohn McCain42%46%11%1%
ArizonaJeff Flake30%51%19%1%
ArkansasTom Cotton48%34%18%2%
ArkansasJohn Boozman46%28%26%2%
CaliforniaKamala Harris45%29%26%1%
CaliforniaDianne Feinstein45%38%18%1%
ColoradoMichael Bennet42%30%28%1%
ColoradoCory Gardner38%37%25%1%
ConnecticutChristopher Murphy49%35%17%2%
ConnecticutRichard Blumenthal49%38%14%2%
DelawareChris Coons48%31%21%3%
DelawareThomas Carper51%27%22%3%
FloridaMarco Rubio42%41%17%1%
FloridaBill Nelson44%34%23%1%
GeorgiaDavid Perdue47%27%26%1%
GeorgiaJohnny Isakson46%27%27%1%
HawaiiMazie Hirono56%27%17%4%
HawaiiBrian Schatz53%26%21%4%
IdahoMichael Crapo45%34%21%3%
IdahoJames Risch40%32%28%3%
IllinoisTammy Duckworth46%33%22%1%
IllinoisDick Durbin38%40%23%1%
IndianaJoe Donnelly41%34%25%1%
IndianaTodd Young42%28%30%1%
IowaJoni Ernst42%38%20%2%
IowaChuck Grassley45%39%16%2%
KansasPat Roberts37%39%24%2%
KansasJerry Moran42%32%26%2%
KentuckyMitch McConnell30%56%15%1%
KentuckyRand Paul40%42%19%1%
LouisianaBill Cassidy48%27%25%1%
LouisianaJohn Kennedy51%25%24%1%
MaineSusan Collins56%34%11%2%
MaineAngus King57%29%14%2%
MarylandChris Van Hollen46%23%32%1%
MarylandBenjamin Cardin47%26%28%1%
MassachusettsEdward Markey51%23%26%1%
MassachusettsElizabeth Warren53%36%11%1%
MichiganDebbie Stabenow40%38%22%1%
MichiganGary Peters34%29%37%1%
MinnesotaTina Smith37%21%41%1%
MinnesotaAmy Klobuchar60%24%16%1%
MississippiCindy Hyde-Smith*--------
MississippiRoger Wicker47%27%25%2%
MissouriClaire McCaskill40%44%17%1%
MissouriRoy Blunt38%39%23%1%
MontanaJon Tester50%36%15%3%
MontanaSteve Daines40%35%25%3%
NebraskaBenjamin Sasse43%34%23%2%
NebraskaDeb Fischer44%36%20%2%
NevadaDean Heller37%40%23%2%
NevadaCatherine Cortez Masto39%34%27%2%
New HampshireMaggie Hassan54%32%14%3%
New HampshireJeanne Shaheen53%31%16%3%
New JerseyCory Booker48%31%22%1%
New JerseyRobert Menendez33%41%26%1%
New MexicoTom Udall46%30%23%3%
New MexicoMartin Heinrich43%32%25%3%
New YorkChuck Schumer50%34%16%1%
New YorkKirsten Gillibrand47%28%25%1%
North CarolinaRichard Burr39%33%28%1%
North CarolinaThom Tillis35%35%30%1%
North DakotaJohn Hoeven57%26%18%4%
North DakotaHeidi Heitkamp44%44%12%4%
OhioSherrod Brown44%29%27%1%
OhioRobert Portman38%33%29%1%
OklahomaJames Lankford40%38%23%2%
OklahomaJames Inhofe38%40%22%2%
OregonRon Wyden54%26%21%2%
OregonJeff Merkley50%26%25%2%
PennsylvaniaRobert Casey42%32%26%1%
PennsylvaniaPatrick Toomey35%39%25%1%
Rhode IslandJack Reed57%23%21%3%
Rhode IslandSheldon Whitehouse51%30%19%3%
South CarolinaTim Scott53%22%25%1%
South CarolinaLindsey Graham41%40%19%1%
South DakotaJohn Thune62%25%14%3%
South DakotaMike Rounds58%26%16%3%
TennesseeBob Corker41%37%22%1%
TennesseeLamar Alexander43%34%24%1%
TexasJohn Cornyn42%29%30%1%
TexasTed Cruz48%35%17%1%
UtahMike Lee48%29%23%2%
UtahOrrin Hatch44%40%15%2%
VermontPatrick Leahy56%32%12%4%
VermontBernard Sanders63%32%5%4%
VirginiaMark Warner50%30%21%1%
VirginiaTim Kaine45%35%20%1%
WashingtonMaria Cantwell50%28%23%1%
WashingtonPatty Murray51%30%19%1%
West VirginiaJoe Manchin45%43%12%1%
West VirginiaShelley Capito46%34%20%1%
WisconsinTammy Baldwin44%39%18%1%
WisconsinRon Johnson39%39%22%1%
WyomingJohn Barrasso52%33%15%5%
WyomingMike Enzi52%31%16%5%

Clinton Extends National Lead in Democratic Primary – Clinton maintains a commanding 24-point national lead over Sanders. The former Secretary of State’s strongest support comes from seniors and African Americans.

  • Results by age: Clinton leads Sanders 58-20 among seniors, but Sanders leads Clinton by a 45-38 margin among adults under 30.
  • Results by gender: Clinton leads Sanders by 26 points (54-28 percent) among women and by 22 points among men (54-32 percent).
  • Results by race / ethnicity: Clinton leads among African Americans by a 71-14 margin and leads among whites by a 48-34 margin.
StateSenatorApproveDisapproveDon't know / No opinionMargin of Error
AlabamaRichard Shelby51%30%20%1%
AlabamaDoug Jones47%25%28%1%
AlaskaDan Sullivan46%29%24%6%
AlaskaLisa Murkowski44%42%14%6%
ArizonaJeff Flake32%50%18%1%
ArizonaJohn McCain41%48%11%1%
ArkansasTom Cotton48%34%18%2%
ArkansasJohn Boozman47%29%25%2%
CaliforniaKamala Harris44%28%28%1%
CaliforniaDianne Feinstein45%36%19%1%
ColoradoCory Gardner40%36%24%2%
ColoradoMichael Bennet43%32%26%2%
ConnecticutRichard Blumenthal50%38%12%2%
ConnecticutChris Murphy50%34%17%2%
DelawareThomas Carper52%27%22%3%
DelawareChris Coons48%31%21%3%
FloridaBill Nelson47%29%24%1%
FloridaMarco Rubio44%40%16%1%
GeorgiaJohn Isakson47%25%28%1%
GeorgiaDavid Perdue48%26%26%1%
HawaiiBrian Schatz55%26%19%4%
HawaiiMazie Hirono51%30%19%4%
IdahoMichael Crapo45%34%21%3%
IdahoJames Risch44%29%27%3%
IllinoisDick Durbin37%40%23%1%
IllinoisTammy Duckworth42%33%24%1%
IndianaTodd Young44%27%29%1%
IndianaJoe Donnelly42%32%26%1%
IowaChuck Grassley45%38%17%2%
IowaJoni Ernst42%37%20%2%
KansasJerry Moran42%32%26%2%
KansasPat Roberts37%39%24%2%
KentuckyMitch McConnell34%52%14%1%
KentuckyRand Paul45%37%18%1%
LouisianaBill Cassidy47%28%26%2%
LouisianaJohn Kennedy51%23%26%2%
MaineAngus King58%29%14%2%
MaineSusan Collins56%35%9%2%
MarylandBen Cardin50%23%27%1%
MarylandChris Van Hollen48%22%31%1%
MassachusettsElizabeth Warren54%35%11%1%
MassachusettsEd Markey52%24%24%1%
MichiganDebbie Stabenow42%38%21%1%
MichiganGary Peters36%29%35%1%
MinnesotaTina Smith33%21%45%1%
MinnesotaAmy Klobuchar60%25%14%1%
MississippiThad Cochran47%28%25%2%
MississippiRoger Wicker45%28%27%2%
MissouriClaire McCaskill39%44%18%1%
MissouriRoy Blunt39%39%23%1%
MontanaJon Tester56%33%12%4%
MontanaSteve Daines49%34%17%4%
NebraskaDeb Fischer43%35%22%2%
NebraskaBen Sasse42%33%25%2%
NevadaCatherine Cortez Masto43%33%24%2%
NevadaDean Heller37%40%24%2%
New HampshireMaggie Hassan53%35%13%3%
New HampshireJeanne Shaheen52%34%14%3%
New JerseyRobert Menendez34%38%28%1%
New JerseyCory Booker49%30%21%1%
New MexicoTom Udall44%34%22%3%
New MexicoMartin Heinrich41%34%25%3%
New YorkChuck Schumer50%34%16%1%
New YorkKirsten Gillibrand47%28%25%1%
North CarolinaRichard Burr40%33%27%1%
North CarolinaThom Tillis37%34%30%1%
North DakotaHeidi Heitkamp47%39%14%4%
North DakotaJohn Hoeven57%26%17%4%
OhioSherrod Brown46%29%25%1%
OhioRobert Portman41%32%27%1%
OklahomaJames Lankford44%32%25%2%
OklahomaJim Inhofe42%34%24%2%
OregonJeff Merkley48%28%25%2%
OregonRon Wyden51%27%22%2%
PennsylvaniaPat Toomey37%39%24%1%
PennsylvaniaBob Casey42%32%26%1%
Rhode IslandSheldon Whitehouse49%32%20%3%
Rhode IslandJack Reed55%24%21%3%
South CarolinaLindsey Graham41%41%18%1%
South CarolinaTim Scott52%23%25%1%
South DakotaJohn Thune62%26%12%4%
South DakotaMike Rounds58%27%15%4%
TennesseeLamar Alexander45%32%23%1%
TennesseeBob Corker42%37%21%1%
TexasTed Cruz49%34%18%1%
TexasJohn Cornyn43%28%29%1%
UtahOrrin Hatch46%39%14%2%
UtahMike Lee49%29%22%2%
VermontBernie Sanders72%23%5%4%
VermontPat Leahy65%23%12%4%
VirginiaMark Warner49%30%21%1%
VirginiaTim Kaine45%35%20%1%
WashingtonPatty Murray53%30%18%2%
WashingtonMaria Cantwell51%28%21%2%
West VirginiaShelley Capito45%35%19%2%
West VirginiaJoe Manchin43%44%14%2%
WisconsinRon Johnson40%39%21%1%
WisconsinTammy Baldwin40%42%18%1%
WyomingJohn Barrasso59%28%13%5%
WyomingMichael Enzi59%25%17%5%

Polling Methodology – This poll was conducted from January 14-17, 2016, among a national sample of 4060 registered voters. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, region, annual household income, home ownership status and marital status. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

  • Toplines are available here.
  • Crosstabs are available here.
Morning Consult