Quinnipiac: Jeb Bush Is Top Dog In Florida 2016 GOP Pack

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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is way out in front over U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and other possible Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination in his home state, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

But despite President Barack Obama's underwater job approval rating, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads a list of Republicans by margins of 8 percentage points or higher, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Gov. Bush leads the Florida Republican primary with 27 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky with 14 percent, Sen. Rubio at 11 percent, New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie at 7 percent, with 6 percent each for Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan. No other candidate tops 4 percent and 16 percent are undecided.

Secretary Clinton sweeps the Democratic primary with 64 percent, followed by Vice President Joseph Biden with 11 percent and Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 6 percent. No other candidate tops 1 percent and 13 percent are undecided.

"With former Gov. Jeb Bush making noises about a possible 2016 candidacy, his support among Republicans in the Sunshine State appears to be solidifying. He still trails Hillary Clinton in a general election matchup, but he is the only potential GOP nominee who gets within single digits of her," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

"For a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy in Florida, November 2016 can't get here soon enough. Not only does she out point the entire field of potential Democratic wannabes for the party nomination put together, but her favorability numbers among all voters is near 60 percent."

"The Republicans angling to oppose Secretary Clinton, should she run, are less known and less liked," Brown added.

Clinton tops several possible Republican candidates in Florida:

49 - 41 percent over Bush;
52 - 40 percent over Rubio;
55 - 37 percent over Paul;
52 - 34 percent over Christie;
56 - 36 percent over Ryan;
57 - 31 percent over Cruz;
53 - 35 percent over Huckabee.

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