A new Quinnipiac University swing-state poll released Thursday shows Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is slipping in Florida.
Bush, still the front-runner in a possible 2016 presidential primary in Florida, is slipping in the sunshine state and weak in the other swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
According to the poll, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is moving up and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is back in the pack.
Republican primary matchups show:
Florida: Bush leads with 24 percent, down from 32 percent in a February 4 Quinnipiac University poll. Walker is next with 15 percent, with U.S. Sen Marco Rubio at 12 percent.
Ohio: Gov. John Kasich gets the native son vote with 20 percent, with Walker, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 9 percent each, Bush at 8 percent, compared to 10 percent February 4, and Ben Carson at 8 percent.
Pennsylvania: Walker at 14 percent with 9 percent each for Carson, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and Bush, who was at 12 percent last month.
The Swing State Poll focuses on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states.
Despite use of e-mails while she was secretary of state, Hillary Clinton holds commanding leads, with 48 to 65 percent of Democrats in each state. In Florida, Clinton tops her nearest challenger with 65 percent of the vote followed by Vice President Biden with 11 percent and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 7 percent.
If Clinton stays out of the race, Vice President Joseph Biden leads the Democratic pack in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with tallies ranging from 34 percent to 42 percent.
From March 17 – 28, Quinnipiac University surveyed:
- 1,087 Florida voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. The survey includes 428 registered Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percent and 344 registered Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 5.3 percent.
- 1,077 Ohio voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. This includes 404 registered Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percent and 324 registered Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 5.4 percent.
- 1,036 Pennsylvania voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. This includes 442 registered Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percent and 415 registered Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 4.8 percent
Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
Open in a new tab: Quinnipiac University swing state poll, April 2, 2015 (PDF)