In Quinnipiac University’s first
swing state poll of 2016, Hillary Clinton is just about deadlocked with Jeb Bush in Florida—where he was a two-term governor from 1999-2007—but beats him comfortably by double digits in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
• FLORIDA: Clinton 44 - Bush 43
• OHIO: Clinton 47 - Bush 36
• PENNSYLVANIA: Clinton 50 - Bush 35
The poll tested Clinton against what might presumably be the three strongest Republican candidates in each state: Bush in Florida, Ohio Gov. John Kasich in Ohio, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in Pennsylvania, which neighbors New Jersey.
While the Clinton-Kasich matchup in Ohio is also a dead heat (44-43), Clinton handily beats Christie in Pennsylvania (50-39).
Here’s a couple other highlights:
In the three big swing states she is getting 86 to 93 percent of Democrats, 36 to 54 percent of independent voters and even up to 15 percent of Republicans.
Clinton's favorability rating tops 50 percent in each state, while Republican ratings range from negative to mixed to slightly positive, except for Bush in Florida and Kasich in Ohio.
And here’s how Clinton matches up against the other candidates in the swing state poll.
Florida
• 51 - 33 percent over Christie;
• 50 - 38 percent over Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky;
• 51 - 34 percent over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee;
• 49 - 39 percent over Sen. Marco Rubio, the Native Son.
Ohio
• 47 - 36 percent over Bush;
• 47 - 34 percent over Christie;
• 48 - 36 percent over Paul;
• 49 - 34 percent over Huckabee.
Pennsylvania
• 50 - 35 percent over Bush;
• 53 - 34 percent over Paul;
• 54 - 34 percent over Huckabee;
• 54 - 34 percent over former Sen. Rick Santorum, the Native Son.