A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Thursday shows a close race between the presidential candidates in the Sunshine State, with President Barack Obama holding a small lead over Mitt Romney.
The poll of registered Florida voters shows Obama taking 46 percent withRomney following at 42 percent.
The poll finds that both candidates have solidified their bases behind them with 88 percent of Democrats behind Obama and 91 percent of Republicans rallying to former Massachusetts governor Romney. Obama has the lead among independent voters, taking 46 percent of them, while Romney lags behind with 37 percent.
Romney also trails Obama with women voters as the president takes 49 percent of them and the Republican follows with 39 percent. Romney edges Obama out with male voters, taking 45 percent with the president right behind him at 44 percent.
The poll shows there is a racial divide in Florida over the candidates. Romney takes 50 percent of white voters while Obama garners 37 percent of them. Obama takes 49 percent of Hispanics while Romney follows with 39 percent. Among African-American voters, Obama crushes Romney, taking 91 percent of them.
The poll shows both candidates are earning mixed marks in the Sunshine State. Floridians are split as to whether they think Obama deserves a second term, with 48 percent saying he does and the same percentage saying he does not. While 47 percent see Obama as favorable, 46 percent see Obama in an unfavorable light. Obama also garners mixed marks with his approval rating -- with 47 percent approving of his performance in the White House but 49 percent disapproving of it. The poll shows Floridians overwhelmingly think Obama is likable, with 78 percent saying he is and only 19 percent saying he is not.
Romney is slightly upside down with Florida voters, with 39 percent seeing him in a favorable light and 42 percent viewing him as unfavorable. A solid majority -- 60 percent --of those surveyed see Romney as likeable while 30 percent do not.
The poll shows that Romney is holding his own with Obama in Florida on the economy. While 44 percent say that Obama would do a better job on the economy, 48 percent think Romney can. Voters divide over who would do better in creating more jobs with each candidate garnering the support of 45 percent. Voters lean toward Obama when asked who would advance middle-class interests with 49 percent saying the president and 44 percent saying Romney. A majority -- 52 percent -- think Obama would do a better job on foreign policy while 40 percent think Romney would.
Mulling over the results, Peter Brown, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, contrasted it to a poll his organization released at the end of May that showed Romney leading in Florida by 6 percent.
"The president is doing better among independent voters," said Brown. "It also is worth noting that the last Quinnipiac University Florida poll was on the heels of the president's backing of gay marriage, which might have hurt him at that time.
"At this point, Romney is not well-defined in the minds of many voters, especially those in the middle, added Brown. This movement reflects that uncertainty among voters who are up for grabs."
The poll of 1,697 registered Florida voters was taken from June 12-18 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
