IJ Review: EXCLUSIVE: Paul Ryan Leads Challenger by Overwhelming Margin Ahead of August 9 Primary

A new Harper Polling survey out today shows Speaker Paul Ryan crushing it in his WI-01 district, ahead of the August 9 primary.

Commissioned by CLF, the poll finds that Paul Ryan has a commanding lead in favorability (76% v. 22%) and a 49-point lead on the congressional ballot (69% v. 20%).

Additionally, he leads strongly with every demographic and ideological view of primary voters, including those who identify as very conservative voters and supporters of the Tea Party.

Independent Journal Review has the story here and below, and their upload of the polling results here.

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EXCLUSIVE: Paul Ryan Leads Challenger by Overwhelming Margin Ahead of August 9 Primary
Independent Journal Review
By Joe Perticone
July 15, 2016
http://ijr.com/2016/07/650794-paul-ryan-leads-primary-challenger-new-poll/

FULL PDF: https://www.scribd.com/document/318393697/Wis-1-GOP-Primary-Results#fullscreen&from_embed

Ahead of the August 9 primary in Wisconsin’s first congressional district, House Speaker Paul Ryan is leading local businessman Paul Nehlen by a large margin, a new poll shows.

Nehlen, in his attempt to unseat Ryan, has challenged the Speaker to an arm wrestling match and produced attacks ads, one being titled, “Exposing Paul Ryan’s Drug Problem.”

Nehlen has also garnered the attention of far right Republican media figures such as Sarah Palin and Michelle Malkin, both of whom pledged their support for him.

But while the Nehlen campaign’s internal polling claims a more than 30 point drop in Ryan’s lead, a new poll obtained exclusively by Independent Journal Review has Ryan leading Nehlen with 69% to Nehlen’s 20%. Just 11% remain undecided.

Ryan holds a 76% total favorability rating, while Nehlen is at 22% total favorability. In addition, 54% of likely voters in the district have no opinion of Nehlen, less than one month away from the primary.

Congressional Leadership Fund President Mike Shields told Independent Journal Review that the poll is a strong signal of Ryan’s footing in the district:

“What is very telling is that not only is Paul Ryan overwhelming his primary opponent this year, he is in very good shape in this district for years to come. The voting electorate ideologically views themselves and Paul Ryan in the same way.

This is a Paul Ryan district and he will continue to be very safe here.”

The poll was conducted by Harper Polling for the Congressional Leadership Fund. It was in the field from July 11-12, and surveyed 400 likely Republican voters in Wisconsin’s first congressional district, with a margin of error of +/-4.9%.

[Graphic Embedded]

The new data showing Ryan coasting to a victory in the primary race is consistent with other polls in recent months, with the House Speaker hovering around the 70% range.

Voters go to the polls in less than a month.