United Liberty

Last week, I explained that the divide over Mark Neumann and Eric Hovde could come back to haunt consertatives in Wisconsin because it could provide an opening for Tommy Thompson, who is viewed as an unacceptable nominee due to his past support of ObamaCare. Both alternatives to Thompson have received outside support, with Neumann being backed by Club for Growth and Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund. Hovde has been endorsed by FreedomWorks.

But a new poll from Marquette shows that Thompson is leading the pack in the race, though his lead is down from their previous poll in early July:

With less than a week until the primary in the Wisconsin Senate race, former Gov. Tommy Thompson remains atop the GOP field, according to a poll released Wednesday by Marquette University Law School.

Despite facing a barrage of attacks from opponents attempting to paint him as a moderate, Thompson leads businessman Eric Hovde, 33 percent to 24 percent, among likely primary voters. Former Rep. Mark Neumann finished third with 21 percent, followed by state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald at 15 percent. Seven percent of respondents said they are undecided.

Marquette’s results are different from recent surveys by Public Policy Polling, which have showed Hovde with a small lead; though within the margin of error. Another poll from WeAskAmerica, taken between the most recent Public Policy Polling survey and Marquette’s latest shows the race is a dead heat between Hovde and Thompson.

Neumann’s backers are hoping that another push for votes, including an ad from Sen. DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund, in the final stretch of the campaign before voters head to the polls on August 14th, will help put him over the top:

Despite the shine coming off Hovde’s campaign in recent days as Americans for Tax Reform, Erick Erickson, and others criticize him on taxes and bailouts, he isn’t taking things lying down. Hovde just launched a new ad in which he criticizes Neumann over negative comments made about now-Gov. Scott Walker, who Neumann ran against in the GOP primary for governor in 2010, and Thompson for the tone of his campaign: