Poll: Clinton leads Trump and Cruz nationally, trails Kasich

Poll: Clinton leads Trump and Cruz nationally, trails Kasich
By Jonathan Easley - 03-24-16 11:00 AM EDT

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would defeat Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in a national election but lose to John Kasich, a new poll finds.

According to a Monmouth University survey released Thursday, Clinton leads Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up with 48 percent support to Trump's 38 percent.

Clinton s lead is bolstered by Trump s weak support from voters in his own party.

Only 73 percent of Republicans said they d support Trump, while Clinton has the support of 89 percent of Democrats. Trump edges Clinton 40 to 39 percent among independents.

Clinton also leads Trump 46 to 41 percent in 10 swing states where the 2012 election was decided by fewer than 7 points.

In leaning states, where the 2012 contest was decided by between 7 and 12 points, Clinton does even better, besting Trump 49 to 36 percent.

Clinton also leads Cruz in a national head-to-head match-up, 45 to 40 percent. She similarly edges the Texas senator 45 to 42 percent in the 10 swing states surveyed.

Kasich is the only GOP presidential candidate who leads Clinton in a head-to-head match-up.

The Ohio governor has 45 percent support, while Clinton has 39 percent.

Kasich leads Clinton 46 to 41 percent in the swing states and has an even bigger lead 47 to 36 percent in the leaning states.

Kasich has the best favorability rating of any candidate, at 50 percent positive and 18 percent negative, although 32 percent don t know enough about him to have an opinion.

Kasich seems to be best positioned to take on Clinton, but the fact that he is a blank slate for one-third of voters means opinion could swing either way if he became the nominee, Monmouth pollster Patrick Murray said.

The two front-runners, Trump and Clinton, are unpopular nationally.

Forty percent of registered voters say they have a favorable view of Clinton, while 51 percent have an unfavorable view.

Trump is at 30 percent positive and 60 percent negative. Thirty-seven percent of Republicans have a negative view of Trump.

The Monmouth University survey of 848 registered voters was conducted between March 17 and March 20 and has a 3.4 percentage point margin of error.