Trump leads GOP in Fla., Clinton slips
Poll: Clinton trails Bush 1-on-1, but not with Trump in race.
Donald Trump is surging with Florida Republicans — and Democrat Hillary Clinton could be the biggest beneficiary, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows.
A majority of Florida voters don’t like or trust Democratic front-runner Clinton, and she trails Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio by double digits in head-to-head matchups in the Sunshine State. But Clinton runs virtually even with part-time Palm Beacher Trump, who has high negatives of his own. And a third-party candidacy by Trump would siphon considerable support from the Republican nominee, the poll suggests.
Trump has a similar effect in Ohio and Pennsylvania, swing states for which Quinnipiac also released polls Thursday.
In Florida, Trump leads the crowded GOP field with 21 percent, followed by former Gov. Bush at 17 percent and Rubio and West Palm Beach resident Ben Carson at 11 percent apiece.
Trump is viewed favorably by 55 percent of Florida Republicans, with 58 percent of GOP voters saying he is “honest and trustworthy.” But among all Florida voters, only 36 percent have a favorable opinion of Trump and 50 percent have an unfavorable view. Fifty-tree percent of Floridians say Trump is not honest and trustworthy.
Clinton’s problems are even worse in Florida. She remains the clear Democratic front runner, though her margin over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has slipped from 56 points in June to 33 points now. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a 2016 run, trails Clinton and Sanders among Florida Democrats.
Among all Florida voters, 64 percent say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy and 55 percent have an unfavorable opinion of her.
Clinton led Bush by a 46-to-42 percent margin in Quinnipiac’s last Florida poll in June. In the new poll, Bush has opened up a 51-to-39 percent lead over Clinton in a oneon-one ballot test. Rubio leads Clinton by 12 points in Florida, compared to a 3-point deficit in June.
But if Trump is added to the mix as a third-party candidate, he draws considerable Republican support. Clinton gets 37 per- cent to Bush’s 36 percent — essentially a tie considering the poll’s 3 percent margin of error — while Trump attracts 19 percent support. In a threeway presidential race, Trump would get support from 24 percent of Florida Republicans.
In Ohio and Pennsylvania, Clinton and Bush are virtually tied in one-onone contests.
But with Trump on the ballot as a third-party candidate, Clinton holds a 37-to-27 percent lead over Bush in Ohio with Trump drawing 23 percent. In Pennsylvania, Clinton leads Bush by a 37-to29 percent margin with Trump getting 24 percent.