Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to hold a commanding lead in the Florida Democratic presidential primary, a new poll shows.
Mason-Dixon unveiled a new poll on Friday which has Clinton, who leads all of the national polls, far out in front of her potential Democratic rivals. Clinton pulls a majority -- 58 percent -- of those surveyed.
In a memo accompanying the poll, Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon insisted she was “still far ahead of the primary field.”
Clinton’s chief challenger in Florida is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has become the favorite of liberals looking for an alternative to Clinton. Sanders pulls 17 percent in the new poll.
Besides Clinton and Sanders, the other Democratic candidates are floundering in Florida. Former Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-Md., pulls 2 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, D-R.I., take less than 1 percent apiece.
The poll did not include Vice President Joe Biden who has not ruled out a third presidential bid though he has not been an active presence on the campaign trail, either.
Clinton beat primary rival Barack Obama in Florida back in 2008. Biden never made it to the Florida primary in his two previous presidential bids back in 1988 and in 2008.
The poll of 500 Florida Democrats was taken from July 20-23 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
