Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is leading Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., 51 percent to 39 percent in a hypothetical senatorial race, according to a poll released Friday by the conservative Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

The poll also found Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker is leading Milwaukee Mayor and Democratic candidate Tom Barrett 36 percent to 32 percent. Barrett and Republican candidate Mark Neumann are tied at 34 percent.

University of Wisconsin political science professor Ken Goldstein directed the poll, although it was not affiliated with UW.

In an e-mail to The Badger Herald, Goldstein said polls like these are accurate “snapshots of the moment” of public attitudes regarding candidates. Campaigns are dynamic, however, and attitudes certainly have the potential to change over the next eight months.

Goldstein added the Walker-Barrett race is a statistical “dead heat” right now, and significant numbers of voters are still undecided.

“The race will be won by the candidate who makes the best impression on the almost one out of three voters who are undecided and independent,” Goldstein wrote in the e-mail.

In terms of the senatorial race, Goldstein wrote Thompson is currently enjoying strong support from independents and would have strong Republican support if he decides to run. On the other hand, he has been out of politics in the state for 10 years and has not been under the same scrutiny as Feingold.

“An engaged Feingold campaign will try to define Thompson and take away some of the halo that he has,” Goldstein wrote. “The Feingold campaign will also need to stimulate the Democratic base. That should be much easier for the Democrats if there is such a titanic match up.”

The poll was administered through live phone interviews of 600 randomly selected Wisconsin residents.

The WPRI has come under recent fire for its conservative bias, and it does not have unanimous support in its’ findings in previous polls.

“We deserve to know if WPRI improperly used the University of Wisconsin’s name to promote it’s bogus poll,” said Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now, in a statement earlier this month about a separate poll. “In any event, enough questions have been raised that any polling that comes out of this operation has little credibility.”