Florida senator: Trump will win big in state

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/09/16 5:01 PM ET

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) says his colleague Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is going to get crushed in their home state’s GOP presidential primary.

Nelson predicted on “MSNBC Live with Kate Snow” on Wednesday that Donald Trump “will win Florida by double digits.”

{mosads}”It’s obvious,” Nelson responded when asked why he thought so, noting recent polling and Trump’s overtures in the state.

The Democratic senator said “the ground has shifted from underneath” Rubio — mostly toward Trump, but also toward Ted Cruz.

Nelson also predicted that Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, whom he has long backed, will beat rival Bernie Sanders in the state.

Trump leads Florida’s GOP primary by more than 15 points over Rubio, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.

The state’s winner-take-all primary March 15 will give 99 delegates to the winner.

Florida is viewed as Rubio’s last stand in the GOP race. The senator has won just two contests, in Minnesota and Puerto Rico, and trails Trump and Cruz for delegates.

Rubio, Trump, Cruz and John Kasich are facing off in a GOP presidential debate Thursday night in Miami.

– Updated at 5:49 p.m.

Tags Bernie Sanders Bill Nelson Donald Trump Florida Hillary Clinton Marco Rubio Ted Cruz