New poll shows Grassley maintaining lead over Judge

A new poll in Iowa and five other battleground states suggests voters would prefer President Barack Obama, rather than Donald Trump, picks the next Supreme Court justice and are inclined to punish GOP senators holding up the selection process.

Despite 40 percent of Iowans surveyed saying Sen. Chuck Grassley' refusal to hold hearings on Obama's Supreme Court nominee makes them less likely to vote for him, his lead over Democratic challenger Patty Judge remains steady.

However, not all of the news is good for Grassley. The Public Policy Polling survey of 897 registered voters in Iowa June 22-23 found both his lead over Judge and his approval rating under 50 percent.

The poll, with a 3.3 percent margin of error, found Grassley leading the Senate race 46 percent to 39 percent for Judge, a former lieutenant governor, and 14 percent undecided.

An early June Public Policy Poll poll found Grassley leading Judge 48 percent to 41 percent, with 11 percent undecided.

In the new poll, 43 percent of those surveyed said they approve of the job Grassley is doing while 40 percent do not.

Just 22 percent said the refusal by Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold hearings on Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland makes them more likely to vote for him; 38 percent said it doesn't matter.

Asked who they trusted to make a Supreme Court nomination, 49 percent said Obama while 39 percent went with Trump.

The race for president in Iowa is even closer. The poll found voters split 41 percent to 39 percent in favor of Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.

By a similar margin - 48 percent to 39 percent - those polled said they voted for Obama over 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The respondents were 35 percent Democratic, 37 percent Republican and 28 percent independent, Public Policy Polling said.