Marist Poll: Mitt Romney leads by 7 in Wisconsin

Mitt Romney leads Rick Santorum by seven percentage points heading into Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, according to a new poll from NBC News and Marist College.

(Steven Senne - AP)

Wisconsin is one of three contests on Tuesday, but since it’s the one state where Santorum appears to have a chance of beating Romney, most of the attention and money has been focused there.

Polling has consistently shown Romney with a lead. The NBC/Marist poll shows him ahead 40 percent to 33 percent for Santorum. Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are way behind, at 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

A poll from Marquette Law School this week showed Romney leading by a very similar margin, 39 percent to 31 percent.

Maryland and the District of Columbia are also holding contests on Tuesday. Romney is favored in both states.

The poll paints a grimmer picture for the GOP in the general election, with Romney trailing President Obama by double digits. In the upcoming recall of Gov. Scott Walker (R), the poll shows a generic Democrat at 48 percent and Walker at 46 percent.

In the state’s Senate race, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) leads a generic Republican 45 percent to 40 percent. Several Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination, including former governor Tommy Thompson.