Hillary Clinton is “pulling ahead" of Donald Trump in Florida, a new poll shows.
Quinnipiac University released a poll on Tuesday which showed Clinton taking 47 percent in the Sunshine State while Trump gets 39 percent. When the field is expanded to include minor party candidates, Clinton takes 42 percent, Trump gets 36 percent, Libertarian Gary Johnson pulls 7 percent and Jill Stein from the Green Party garners 3 percent.
"Secretary Hillary Clinton is pulling ahead in Florida," said Peter Brown, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, on Tuesday, noting she is doing “much better among Democrats than Trump is among Republicans” in Florida.
“Traditionally GOP presidential candidates score better on this party loyalty test,” Brown noted.
Men favor Trump 45 percent to 41 percent in Florida while women go Clinton’s way 52 percent to 34 percent. Trump has the support of 82 percent of Republicans but 8 percent of them prefer Clinton. On the Democratic side, Clinton gets 93 percent of her party’s faithful while 2 percent back Trump. Independents go Clinton’s way 44 percent to 35 percent. White voters break for Trump 51 percent to 36 percent while 72 percent of non-whites go for Clinton while 15 percent of these voters prefer Trump.
Both of the candidates are upside down in Florida. Trump is seen as unfavorable by 61 percent while 33 percent of those surveyed see him favorably. Clinton is viewed favorably by 39 percent but 53 percent see her as unfavorable.
Voters are split on who they see the candidates. Asked who is better prepared to be president, 60 percent say Clinton and 31 percent say Trump. When asked about who has higher moral standards, 47 percent answer Clinton and 36 percent say Trump. Clinton is also seen as more intelligent than her Republican rival with 53 percent saying she is smarter than Trump while 33 percent think he is more intelligent than she is. When asked about who is more honest, 43 percent say Trump and 40 percent answer Clinton. The Democrat is also seen as more inspiring by 44 percent while 42 percent think Trump is. Asked who is a stronger leader, Trump is the answer of 46 percent while 45 percent think it’s Clinton.
Trump is seen as better for the economy with 49 percent saying he would be better at creating jobs while 41 percent say Clinton will. Asked about who would be more effective against ISIS, 48 percent say Trump and 42 percent say Clinton. When asked about immigration, 50 percent think Clinton’s better while 43 think Trump would be more effective. A majority--54 percent--say Clinton would be better in handling an international crisis while 39 percent think Trump would be.
Brown mulled over the results as well as polls of Ohio and Pennsylvania which showed close contests.
"Of the three swing states, Florida has the largest number of electoral votes,” Brown said. “In fact, it has the most of any of the roughly dozen states around the country considered to be in play. It is Hillary Clinton's best state and perhaps Donald Trump's toughest lift. One reason might be Florida has a larger Hispanic population than the other two states, and Trump has clashed with Hispanic leaders over some of his remarks.”
Florida voters were asked if Trump’s insistence that an American-born judge of Mexican ancestry should recuse himself from presiding over a case over whether Trump University was racist due to his heritage. A majority--58 percent--said it was racist but 35 percent said it was not.
The poll of 975 Florida voters was taken from June 8-June 19 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
