Ryan, Walker early GOP favorites for leading 2010 statewide races

STEVENS POINT -- Paul Ryan and Scott Walker are the heavy early favorites for the 2010 Republican Party nominations for U.S. Senate and governor, according to the annual convention straw poll conducted by WisPolitics.com.

Ryan, the GOP congressman from southeastern Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, garnered 123 votes from official convention attendees who picked him as their favorite to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, should the Middleton Democrat choose to seek re-election to another six-year term in 2010. Ryan was the only person in the Senate field with a triple-digit vote total.

Walker, the former legislator from Wauwatosa just re-elected to the Milwaukee County executive's office, received 157 votes from GOP activists asked to indicate who they favor to face Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle in 2010. Walker, who withdrew from the 2006 gubernatorial primary to allow Mark Green a clear path to the party nomination, was the only person in the governor field with a triple-digit vote total.

In last year's WisPolitics.com straw poll, state GOP activists favored former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson for president in 2008 and Walker for governor in 2010.

In this year's WisPolitics straw poll at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention in Stevens Point, 220 total ballots were cast by convention delegates, alternates and official guests. There were more than 400 official attendees at the convention.

Only one vote per person was allowed, and only ballots with one candidate marked in each category were counted. This poll in no way was endorsed by the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

WisPolitics, since it was launched in 2000, has conducted straw polls at state Republican and Democratic party conventions and considers them but one measure of a candidate's popularity and viability.

Paper balloting was conducted Friday and Saturday at this year's convention. WisPolitics.com also will conduct a straw poll at the state Democratic Party convention next month.

WisPolitics.com is an independent non-partisan political news service based in Madison, Wis. WisPolitics also operates these companion sites: WisOpinion.com, WisBusiness.com and IowaPolitics.com.

2008 GOP CONVENTION STRAW POLL QUESTIONS, RESULTS
220 total ballots cast

1) If a 2010 primary for governor were being held today, which Republican would you choose to be the party's nominee?

--Scott Walker, 157
--J.B. Van Hollen, 24
--Bill McCoshen, 9
--Scott Fitzgerald, 8
--Tommy Thompson, 5
--Mike Huebsch, 4
--Mark Neumann, 4
--Rick Graber, 1
--No Vote, 1
--Mark Todd, 0

Write-ins, 7
--Mark Gundrum led with 2

2) If a 2010 primary for U.S. Senate were being held today, which Republican would you choose to be the party's nominee?

--Paul Ryan, 123
--Mark Green, 44
--Tim Michels, 23
--Ted Kanavas, 8
--Scott Klug, 3
--Curt Culver 2
--No vote 1

Write-ins: 16 total
--Rick Graber led with 6.

-- By Staff