Businessman Donald Trump continues to top Florida's Republican presidential field, no matter his recent rhetoric against Muslims and the outcry against it from on both sides of the aisle, according to a poll released Wednesday.
A St. Leo University poll of likely Florida voters shows Trump taking 30.6 percent of Republicans in the Sunshine State, up from 25.8 percent in a St. Leo poll taken in October. Marco Rubio keeps a grip on the second spot, with 15 percent, but that’s down from the 21.5 percent he pulled in October.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who took the lead in Iowa in a Monmouth University poll released Monday, is building steam in Florida, doubling his support over the past two months. Cruz pulled 10.2 percent Wednesday.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., is in third with 14.3 percent, down one point from what he claimed in October. Continuing a trend from other states, Dr. Ben Carson dropped 4 points from October, now at 10.4 percent.
In the Democratic presidential primary, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton remains in full control. She takes nearly 60 percent (58.8) of Florida Democrats while Bernie Sanders garners 26.9 percent.
Both Clinton and Sanders benefited from Biden staying out of the primaries, but the Vermont senator has gained a bigger boost from the vice president remaining on the sidelines. In October, a St. Leo poll showed Clinton ahead in Florida with 50.9 percent with Biden in second with 15 percent. Sanders took 13.3 percent in October.
The poll of 404 likely voters in Florida was taken from Nov. 29-Dec. 3 and had a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN.
