Pawlenty trails pack in another presidential poll

Tim Pawlenty. Photo: Facebook

Tim Pawlenty came in fifth in a new presidential poll released by McClatchy-Marist. Minnesota’s governor has consistently finished in the bottom half of presumed presidential contenders in polls conducted in recent months. This one comes as he heads to New Hampshire next week.

Mitt Romney had a solid lead in the poll with 25 percent, followed by Sarah Palin with 18 percent. Rounding out the survey was Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee tied with 16 percent, Pawlenty with 6 percent, Mitch Daniels with 4 percent and Maley Barbour with 2 percent.

The poll follows a Public Policy Polling poll of GOP contenders in New Hampshire last week, which showed Pawlenty in sixth place with 5 percent. A similar survey in July also had Pawlenty in sixth, but with only 3 percent.

Pawlenty is headed to New Hampshire to campaign for Republican candidates for Congress next week. Those plans sparked criticism from the Democratic National Committee.

“Governor Pawlenty should be more concerned with the state of Minnesota than the state of his presidential campaign – both of which are struggling due to his ineffectiveness as a leader,” said the DNC’s Frank Benenati of the DNC. “This month, Pawlenty has spent more time out of state — and even out of the country — than he has in the Governor’s mansion in Minnesota. With state deficits, an administration that can’t pay its bills, skyrocketing property taxes and schools being forced to move to four-day weeks, it is clear that Pawlenty should spend more time in Minnesota than in New Hampshire – but we, nor the people of Minnesota, should hold our breath.”

Pawlenty has consistently been at the back of the pack in straw polls as well.

At CPAC in February, he finished fourth behind Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin. He tied for sixth place at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in April, with 3 percent. That same month he again tied for sixth in the Iowa Straw Poll sponsored by the Republican Party of Iowa, garnering one percent of the vote.