Hillary Clinton Still Ahead of the Democratic Field in Florida



Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to hold a commanding lead in the Florida Democratic presidential primary, a new poll shows. 
Mason-Dixon unveiled a new poll on Friday which has Clinton, who leads all of the national polls, far out in front of her potential Democratic rivals. Clinton pulls a majority -- 58 percent --  of those surveyed. 
In a memo accompanying the poll, Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon insisted she was “still far ahead of the primary field.”
Clinton’s chief challenger in Florida is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has become the favorite of  far left liberals  Sanders pulls 17 percent in the new poll.
Besides Clinton and Sanders, the other Democratic candidates are floundering in Florida. Former Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-Md., pulls 2 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, D-R.I., take less than 1 percent apiece. 
The poll did not include Vice President Joe Biden who has not ruled out a third presidential bid though he has not been an active presence on the campaign trail, either. 
Clinton beat primary rival Barack Obama in Florida back in 2008. Biden never made it to the Florida primary in his two previous presidential bids back in 1988 and in 2008. 
The poll of 500 Florida Democrats was taken from July 20-23 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent. Jeb Bush holds a commanding lead over Sen. Marco Rubio among registered Florida Republicans, who have soured on the senator since he announced his presidential bid in April, a new poll shows.
In the crowded GOP field, Bush leads the second-place Rubio 28 to 16 percent in their home state, according to Mason Dixon Polling & Research’s survey. In Mason-Dixon’s poll three months ago, Rubio was essentially tied with Bush 31 to 30 percent.
Rubio’s 15 percentage-point drop coincides with the rise of Gov. Scott Walker, who’s now in third place with 13 percent – an 11 point increase for the Wisconsin governor since the April survey.
“And the center of the GOP political universe of late — Donald Trump — is in fourth with 11 percent,” Mason Dixon pollster Brad Coker said in a written analysis.
“This is the first Florida poll taken entirely since Trump’s remarks regarding John McCain’s Vietnam War service. His 11% showing in Florida is far below his support in recent national polls. This could be the result of the home state advantage of both Bush and Rubio,” Coker wrote. “However, the fact that Walker has slipped ahead of him may be a stronger sign that his candidacy is fading. Furthermore, there is a clear ceiling that Trump has among Florida Republicans. When asked if they are considering a vote for Trump, a large majority (58%) said they were not. Only 27% gave an indication that Trump was under their serious consideration.”
All the other Republican candidates are polling in the single digits.



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