Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are at the top of the list in their respective primaries, and the two are running neck-and-neck in Florida for the 2016 presidential election, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released Friday.
The poll found Bush with a lead over all other potential Republican candidates, but not by a whole lot. Gov. Bush received 22 percent in a hypothetical primary, while U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., received 18 percent. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, trailed behind the two Florida politicians, receiving 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
A hypothetical primary on the Democratic side, on the other hand, showed Clinton running away with the nomination with 70 percent of the vote. Vice President Joe Biden received only 9 percent.
If Bush and Clinton were to face off in an election today, the poll indicates it would be an incredibly tight race. The two were nearly even, with Bush receiving 45 percent and Clinton 47 percent.
Its no surprise that Hillary Clinton is well thought of by Florida voters, but when asked whether she would be a good president, more voters say yes than say they will vote for her, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Florida voters have lots of love for Hillary, but the poll shows they dont have the same level of fervor for Republican candidates.
Florida Democrats have eyes for no one but Hillary; seven in 10 back her for thenomination in 2016 and no one else is in double digits, Brown added. The GOP nomination fight is another story. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio and three other potential aspirants get 9 percent or more and it is a foregone conclusion that the 2016 GOP nomination fight in Florida will be very competitive.
Neither Bush nor Clinton has indicated a clear plan to hop into the 2016 presidential race, but Clinton has already received the backing of many Democrats, including a super-political action committee called Ready for Hillary, which has already started raising money for the former first lady, should she decide to run.
Bush served as governor in the Sunshine State from 1999 to 2007. During his time as governor, he made education reform a priority in the state and has been lauded for his work in transforming Floridas schools.
Earlier this week, former president George W. Bush appeared on NBCs The Tonight Show and said his brother should run for president if he wants to. Hed be a great one.
