FLORIDA: Clinton 43 – Trump 42; Sanders 44 – Trump 42
In a race marked by wide gender, age and racial gaps, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are running neck and neck in the Florida, but Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont runs slightly better against the likely Republican nominee, according to a Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released today.
Clinton and Trump both have negative favorability ratings among voters in Florida and the swing states Ohio and Pennsylvania, compared to Sanders’ split score, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll finds. The Swing State Poll focused on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states.
The presidential matchups show:
Florida – Clinton at 43 percent, with 42 percent for Trump and Sanders at 44 percent to Trump’s 42 percent;
Ohio – Trump edges Clinton 43 – 39 percent, while Sanders gets 43 percent to Trump’s 41 percent;
Pennsylvania – Clinton at 43 percent to Trump’s 42 percent, while Sanders leads Trump 47 – 41 percent.
“Six months from Election Day, the presidential races between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the three most crucial states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are too close to call,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll.
“At this juncture, Trump is doing better in Pennsylvania than the GOP nominees in 2008 and 2012. And the two candidates are about where their party predecessors were at this point in Ohio and Florida.”
“This election may be good for divorce lawyers. The gender gap is massive and currently benefits Trump,” Brown added. “In Pennsylvania, Clinton’s 19-point lead among women matches Trump’s 21-point margin among men. In Ohio, she is up 7 points among women but down 15 points with men. In Florida she is up 13 points among women but down 13 points among men.”
“Trump would do a better job handling the economy, voters say. He also would do a better job handling terrorism, voters in Florida and Ohio say. Pennsylvania voters are divided.
“By wide margins, voters in all three states say Clinton is more intelligent than Trump and by smaller margins, voters in all three states say she has higher moral standards.”
Clinton vs. Trump in Florida
A 48 – 35 percent lead among women gives Clinton an overall score of 43 percent. Trump’s 49 – 36 percent lead among men gives him 42 percent of all voters.
Independent voters are divided 39 – 39 percent. White voters go Republican 52 – 33 percent, while non-white voters go Democratic 63 – 20 percent. Voters 18 to 34 years old back Clinton 49 – 27 percent, while voters over 65 years old back Trump 50 – 37 percent.
Clinton and Trump each get a negative 37 – 57 percent favorability rating.
Florida voters say 54 – 40 percent that Trump would do a better job than Clinton handling the economy, and say 49 – 43 percent that he would be better on terrorism.
Voters say 52 – 38 percent that Clinton is more intelligent than Trump and 46 – 41 percent that she has higher moral standards. Clinton has the temperament to handle an international crisis, Florida voters say 54 – 44 percent. Trump does not, voters say 62 – 34 percent.
Florida voters support 77 – 20 percent, including 60 – 36 percent among Democrats, requiring voters to show photo ID.
Illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship, 57 percent of voters say, while 11 percent say they can stay but not apply for citizenship and 25 percent say they should be required to leave the U.S.
Florida voters split 48 – 48 percent on whether the U.S. should build a wall along the Mexican border. Men support the wall 54 – 44 percent, with women opposed 52 – 43 percent. White voters want a wall 55 – 41 percent, with non-white voters opposed 65 – 31 percent.
“Republicans’ weakness among minority voters is well known. But the reason this race is so close overall is Clinton’s historic weakness among white men. In Florida, she is getting just 25 percent from white men,” Brown said.
