Bush Tops Rubio In New "Q" Poll
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - Nearly a third of Florida Republican voters support former Gov. Jeb Bush in a hypothetical presidential primary involving a lengthy list of GOP candidates, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Bush received support from 32 percent of registered Republicans in the state, while U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., followed at 15 percent. The only other potential candidate in double digits was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who received 11 percent.
"Former Gov. Jeb Bush's home state lead among Republicans is impressive,'' said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll. "With U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio getting 15 percent, almost half the Florida GOP electorate backs a home state candidate. If Rubio, who has yet to make up his mind, decides not to run, that would give Bush a huge leg up in the nation's most populous swing state. If Rubio does run it will set up a home-state battle between a mentor, Bush, and his protégé, Rubio."
The poll, conducted from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, showed former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a huge advantage among Florida Democrats. Clinton received the support of 61 percent of registered Democrats, while Vice President Joe Biden was next at 11 percent.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.