Bush, Rubio lead pack in Florida

Former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio lead other Republican presidential candidates in their home state of Florida, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. 

Bush pulls 20 percent of Republican voters in the state and Rubio 18 percent, according to the poll, which was conducted June 4-15 — mostly before Bush officially announced his presidential campaign this week in Miami. 

{mosads}Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has vowed to compete in the Florida primary next year after initially suggesting he would sit it out, takes 9 percent in the Quinnipiac poll.

No other 2016 GOP hopefuls register above 7 percent in the poll, which found that 13 percent of Republican voters in the state are undecided. 

The Quinnipiac poll also found home-state support for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another Republican presidential hopeful expected to announce soon. He leads the GOP pack in Ohio with 19 percent support, followed by Bush (9 percent) and Walker (8 percent). 

In former Sen. Rick Santorum’s state, Pennsylvania, Rubio leads the field with 12 percent, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul gets 11 percent, Bush takes 10 percent, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson garners 10 percent and Walker earns 9 percent. Santorum gets 7 percent. 

Among Democrats, the clear front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, leads by at least 38 points in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — all key swing states in the presidential general election.

Vice President Biden, who has not announced a decision about a White House bid and has mourned the recent death of his son Beau Biden on May 30 after his battle with brain cancer, is runner-up in all three states. 

Biden bests Sen. Bernie Sanders, seen as Clinton’s closest challenger and who declared his bid April 30, in Florida (9 percent to 8 percent), Ohio (13 percent to 10 percent) and Pennsylvania (15 percent to 10 percent). 

The surveys of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania were conducted June 4-15 via landlines and cellphones with margins of error between 2.8 points and 5 points.