New survey shows Grassley maintaining double-digit lead

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley continues to lead his three Democratic challengers, including a 55 percent to 36 percent lead over Roxanne Conlin., according to the Rasmussen Report.

Rasmussen's telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Grassley, who is looking to seek a sixth Senate term this November, picks up over 50 percent of the vote in each match-up. Incumbents who earn less than 50 percent of the vote at this stage of a campaign are considered potentially vulnerable.

In addition to his lead over Conlin, considered the Democratic favorite in a three-way June 8 primary, Grassley leads former Iowa House member Bob Krause 57 percent to 31 percent former Iowa Senate member Tom Fiegen 57 percent to 28 percent.

The findings are little different that Rasmussen surveys last month and in late January.

Grassley carries male and female voters by sizable margins against all three of his challengers, again little changed from the two previous surveys. Voters not affiliated with either major party favor the incumbent by 35 or more points.

Other results of the Rasmussen Report include:

• Twenty-six percent (24 percent) of Iowa voters have a very favorable opinion of Grassley, while 13 percent view him very unfavorably.

Conlin is viewed very favorably by 15 percent and very unfavorably by 22 percent.

Her fellow Democrats, Krause and Fiegen, are viewed very favorably by five percent (5 percent) or less. Four percent (4 percent) have a very unfavorable opinion of Krause, while nine percent (9 percent) feel that way about Fiegen.

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

These findings are largely unchanged from surveys conducted in February. However, the number of voters in Iowa who have a very unfavorable opinion of Grassley is down from 32 percent in January.

• Sixty-six percent (66 percent) of Iowa voters say it would be better for the country if most incumbents in Congress were defeated this November. Only 16 percent believe it would be better if most incumbents were reelected.

Voters are more evenly divided when asked if their local representative in Congress deserves to be reelected: 37 percent say yes, 36 percent say no. Twenty-seven percent (27 percent) are undecided.

• Forty-five percent (45 percent) favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, including 25 percent who strongly favor it. Fifty-three percent (53 percent) are opposed to the plan, with 43 percent strongly opposed. These findings are similar to those found nationally. It is important to note that this survey was conducted prior to the House vote this past Sunday.
• Thirty-eight percent (38 percent) say Obama is doing a good or excellent job handling health care reform, while 46 percent rate his handling of this issue as poor. Twenty-eight percent (28 percent) say a better strategy to reform health care is by passing a comprehensive bill that covers all aspects of the health care system. Fifty-seven percent (57 percent), however, feel passing smaller bills that address problems individually is a better strategy.

Forty-five percent (45 percent) of Iowa voters feel when it comes to health care decisions, they fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. Almost as many (44 percent) say the opposite is true and fear insurance companies more

• Thirty-eight percent (38 percent) have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement, while 37 percent have an unfavorable opinion of it. Fourteen percent (14 percent) in Iowa consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement, slightly lower than the level measured nationwide.
• Just under half (47 percent) say the economy will be stronger a year from now. Twenty-eight percent (28 percent) believe the economy will be weaker in one year, while 16 percent say it will be about the same.
• Forty-one percent (41 percent) feel it's possible for anyone who really wants to work to find a job, but 40 percent don't believe this to be true.
• While Obama carried Iowa with 54 percent of the vote in November 2008, just 50 percent of voters in the state now approve of his performance as president. Forty-nine percent (49 percent) disapprove of the job he is doing. These numbers include 26 percent who strongly approve and 39 percent who strongly disapprove. This is roughly comparable to Obama's job approval ratings nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.