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Did a leading poll indicate that David Clarke, self-described as outside the Republican establishment, is the most popular among four potential US Senate candidates for Wisconsin Republicans?

By Tom Kertscher
YES

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who describes himself as "outside (the Republican National Convention) establishment circle," ranked first among four potential Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling.

The poll, done June 5-6, 2023, surveyed 507 likely Republican primary voters in Wisconsin. No Republican candidate has yet entered the 2024 race against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

The poll asked:

“If the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate next year were Sheriff David Clarke, Mike Gallagher, Eric Hovde and Tom Tiffany, who would you vote for?”

Gallagher and Tiffany are congressmen; Hovde is a businessman.

The results:

Clarke: 40%

Not sure: 27%

Gallagher: 20%

Tiffany: 10%

Hovde: 3%

Gallagher announced June 9 he would not run for Senate. Tiffany has said he would decide on a run by August; Hovde has said he would decide by November.

North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling is among the nation’s leading polling organizations. It is "Democratically aligned," according to Ballotpedia.

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