Hillary Has Double Digit Lead Over Rubio And Jeb Bush In Florida

March 21st, 2013

09:27 AM ET

2016 poll: Clinton favored in Florida over two favorite sons

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CNN Political Unit

(CNN) – Let's say Hillary Clinton is the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee and either Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio is the GOP nominee.

A new poll suggests Clinton would hold double digit leads over both men in hypothetical general election matchups in their home state of Florida, the largest of the battleground states.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday, the former first lady, former senator from New York, 2008 Democratic presidential candidate and former secretary of state leads Bush, the former two-term governor of Florida, 51%-40% in the Sunshine State. And the poll indicates Clinton topping Rubio, the first term senator from Florida, 52%-41% in his home state.

Clinton has a 62%-33% favorable/unfavorable rating among Florida voters, compared to 50%-35% for Bush and 41%-34% for Rubio.

All three people are considering 2016 White House bids.

"We probably won't know for some time whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, but if she decides to make the race, she begins with a sizable lead in a state that Republicans cannot win the White House without," says Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Florida voters have a very positive view of Mrs. Clinton and it's not just Democrats who feel that way."

As for the current occupant in the White House, the survey indicates President Barack Obama has a 50%-45% approval-disapproval rating.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted March 13-18, with 1,000 registered voters in Florida questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report