WASHINGTON — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fares worse against Democrat Hillary Clinton than other potential 2016 Republican presidential contenders in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of crucial swing states released Wednesday.

The polls found Christie tailing Clinton by margins of 5 to 10 percentage points, while other potential candidates were in close contention in at least one of the states.

The polls matched Clinton, a Democrat and former secretary of state, against Republicans Christie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Clinton was tied or virtually tied — meaning her lead was within the poll’s margin of error — with Bush and Paul in Virginia and with Walker and Paul in Colorado.

In all three states, Clinton’s favorability rating was far higher than the Republicans’, assistant poll director Peter Brown said, and Christie’s was one of the lowest.

“Several of the GOP contenders can take some solace from this poll,” Brown said. “The one GOPer for whom these numbers are a total drag is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.”

In Colorado, only 26 percent of voters had a favorable view of Christie while 47 percent of voters had unfavorable opinion. Christie’s favorable/unfavorable rating was upside down by 28 percent to 38 percent in Iowa and 36 percent to 38 percent in Virginia.