Former Gov. Jeb Bush has “separated himself” from other Republican presidential candidates in Florida, leading all of them by double digits, according to a Mason-Dixon Florida Poll released Friday.
The poll, conducted Monday through Thursday, said 28 percent of Florida Republicans support Bush, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 16 percent and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 13 percent.
“After falling slightly behind Marco Rubio immediately following his fellow Floridian’s official announcement, Jeb Bush has separated himself from the growing pack of Republican presidential candidates in the Sunshine State,’’ pollster J. Bradford Coker said in an analysis accompanying the results.
Coker said the poll was the first conducted in Florida since Republican candidate Donald Trump made controversial remarks about the Vietnam War service of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Trump received support from 11 percent of Florida Republicans. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead, with support from 58 percent of Democratic voters.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was next at 17 percent. The poll included 500 registered Republican voters and 500 registered Democratic voters.