MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A Marquette University poll shows former Gov. Tommy Thompson is the Republican candidate with the best chance of beating Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race.
The new poll shows Thompson leading Baldwin, 48 percent to 42 percent.
However, Baldwin polls better than former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, 44 percent to 40 percent, and she's ahead of Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, 45 percent to 37 percent.
Name recognition is cited as a problem for Neumann and Fitzgerald is name recognition. At least half of respondents say they haven't heard enough about either candidate.
Thompson has the highest favorability rating of the four. The poll shows 44 percent have a favorable opinion compared to 34 percent unfavorable.
The poll questioned 716 registered Wisconsin voters from February 16-19. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
The candidates are vying for retiring Sen. Herb Kohl's seat. He announced last year that he would not seek re-election in 2012.
