A new poll shows former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination, starts off 2016 with the lead over her potential Republican rivals in Florida, the largest swing state on the map. But a favorite son of the Sunshine State is keeping it close.
The poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, finds Clinton besting the various Republican hopefuls. But, in a rematch of two political dynasties, which squared off in the 1992 presidential election, Clinton edges former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., by the skin of her teeth, leading him 46 percent to 44 percent.
The other Republican contenders fare worse against Clinton. Another potential Republican presidential hopeful from Florida, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, comes closer than the other GOP candidates besides Bush, but still comes up short. Clinton takes 49 percent while Rubio follows with 42 percent.
Clintons lead expands over Republicans with fewer ties to the Sunshine State. When matched against U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Clinton takes 48 percent while the Republican gets 40 percent. Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., also trails Clinton by 8 percent -- 46 percent to 38 percent.
Despite moving to the Florida Panhandle after his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., loses to Clinton in Florida by almost double digits, with the Democrat taking 49 percent and the Republican 40 percent.
Clinton takes a majority of those surveyed when pitted against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, beating the Republican from the Lone Star State 51 percent to 36 percent.
The poll shows half of those surveyed -- 50 percent -- see Bush in a favorable light, while 35 percent view him as unfavorable. Despite that, only 31 percent of Florida voters want to see Bush follow in his fathers and brothers footsteps and run for the White House, while 53 percent say he should not run.
Rubios performance in Washington is approved by 44 percent of those surveyed; 41 percent disapprove of it. A majority of those surveyed -- 53 percent -- think Rubio should not run for the presidency in 2016, but 32 percent say he should launch a presidential bid.
The poll of 818 likely Florida voters was taken Sept. 4-7 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
