John McCain could be in serious trouble in Arizona, facing a tough Republican primary and more uncertainty in the general if he survives the spring.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, is at 39 percent in a crowded GOP primary, according to new numbers from Public Policy Polling. Kelli Ward is second at 26 percent, with three candidates polling in the low single digits and 27 percent undecided.
The big problem for McCain is his underwater approval rating with Republican voters: 35 percent giving him the thumbs-up in terms of job performance, and 50 percent disapproving.
The bad news for McCain is that Ward seems to be pulling in more of the undecideds. In a two-way race between Ward and McCain, the race is deadlocked at 41 percent each, suggesting that the race will narrow as the days count down to the primary.
Assuming he wins the nomination, McCain still has a hurdle to cross in the general, with his lead over Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick at six points, at 42-36, and McCain also underwater in terms of approval with general election voters, 34 percent of whom approve of his job performance, and 52 percent disapproving.
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