Arizona Republicans are losing ground with moderates in new poll

PHOENIX — Moderate Arizona Republicans are beginning to distance themselves from the rest of the party when it comes to approval of President Donald Trump, an OH Predictive Insights poll of likely voters showed Tuesday.

Of the 600 likely voters surveyed by landline telephone a week ago, almost 31 percent of the respondents who identified as moderate were unhappy with Trump.

Among nonmoderates the president’s approval rating was more than 90 percent.

Mike Noble, chief pollster for the Phoenix-based research company, said in a statement, “Currently, the GOP is in a real pickle for the upcoming midterm elections based on our numbers.”

The polling groups were separated by ideology. Those who identified as Trump Republicans led at 33.5 percent. Next were Christian conservatives at 28.7 percent. Moderates made up 24.3 percent.

Trump won the state easily in 2016, claiming 49 percent of the votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 45 percent.

More moderates were also convinced Arizona was heading in the wrong direction, at 37 percent. Only 21 percent of nonmoderates thought the state was heading in a negative direction.

“Republicans can turn it around, but right now they have a massive problem with the attitude of the moderates in their party,” Noah Rudnick, data analyst for OH Predictive, said, in the statement.

“This group may not be exceedingly instrumental in the party, but they have an incredible influence in the November elections.”

The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.

Follow @KTAR923