If Hillary Clinton wants the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, she should have to compete for it, a majority of Democrats said in a new poll.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday, 55 percent of people who lean toward the Democratic Party said they would prefer Clinton not run unopposed.
{mosads}Twenty-eight percent said they would like her to run alone. Another 13 percent prefer her not to run at all.
Clinton remains the early favorite for the nomination, and Democratic leaders have been divided on the need for a robust primary. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently said competitive primaries are an “extremely healthy process,” while California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said last week that “primaries are never good for general elections.”
Clinton, who just began a book tour and is expected to make a decision about a run later this year, has continuously outperformed other potential Democrats in early polling. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats and those who lean toward the party support her for the nomination.
Fifty-nine percent of people approve of her job as secretary of State — down from 68 percent in 2012.
Sixty-eight percent call her a strong leader, and 55 percent say she understands the problems of “people like you.” Fifty-nine percent think she has new ideas for the future.
The poll surveyed 1,002 people from May 29-June 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.