Coming out of their first televised debate, Democrat Hillary Clinton holds a narrow lead over Republican Donald Trump in the critical battleground state of Florida, a new poll shows. Clinton is backed by 46 percent of likely voters, while Trump has the support of 42 percent, according to the Mason-Dixon Polling & Research poll released Friday.
Libertarian Gary Johnson is at 7 percent, Green Party candidate Jill Stein is supported by 1 percent, and 4 percent of voters remain undecided.
“Despite small shifts that have given Clinton a post-debate bump, the race is still very competitive and the outcome will hinge on where and among whom voter turnout is higher,” Mason-Dixon said in a release announcing the poll numbers.
Clinton and Trump debated Monday in New York. The Mason-Dixon poll of 820 Florida voters was conducted from Tuesday through Thursday and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
After what may have been her worst week of the campaign, leading into her first debate with Trump, Clinton has benefited from her debate performance, widely seen as commanding and sharply contrasting with Trump’s missteps, while Trump himself has compounded his errors in the days since, insisting on doubling down on his lesser moments–ridiculing the weight of a former Miss Universe contestant and flirting with attacks on Bill Clinton’s former affairs. Their next debate is scheduled for Oct. 9 in St. Louis.
The Real Clear Politics average of all major polls has Clinton again in the lead in Florida after trailing Trump there for a few weeks. She has a lead of 1.2 percentage points, with four of the last six major polls giving her an advantage.
Florida is critical to Trump if he is to win the election. It is less critical to Clinton, who has other ways of getting to 272 electoral votes. Clinton also has the lead in the two polls with the largest samples.
“If you look at the map, he can’t get there unless he wins Florida’s 29 electoral votes,” Real Clear Politics Publisher Tom Bevan told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly He would really have to run the table, it would take something of a miracle. So, that is critical for Donald Trump. Obama won Florida by less than a point in 2012, it is now within one point in our RealClearPolitics average. It has been really close for the entire month of September. Trump is going to try to run up his numbers in the North, in the Panhandle. Clinton will run up her numbers in South Florida. And then the battle will be fought, as it always is in Florida, in that I-4 corridor around Tampa. That is where this state will be decided.”
Barry Hartmann says
Enjoy it crooked Hillary, it won’t last long!!
Donald Trump's Tiny Fingers says
Yeah, it’ll be over in november when she’s elected president.
IMO says
The latest Florida polls show Trump and Clinton tied at 46.6% to 46.3%.
Hillary does not have a 4 point lead in Florida.
With Ohio going Trump Hillary is fighting for her political life in Florida. She loses Ohio and Florida she loses the election.
for real says
Madam President. Get used to it!
for real says
Madam President! Get used to it.
Makeitso1701 says
Trump won’t be president of the United States,but maybe he can be president of the klu klux klan……
Sw says
The Donald will lose it all by his own hand
palmcoaster says
Trumpmania = big foot on mouth!!
Knightwatch says
Fear the Trumpers and the Trumpettes. They are mindless sycophants. but, they vote. The only antidote to Trumpism is to outvote his followers. We need every rational, thinking Floridian to get out and vote for Hillary. Vote early, and although I wish I could say vote often, don’t! Just get your friends and families to vote for Hillary. Same thing.
And remember… you don’t vote, you get Trump.You vote for a 3rd-party candidate, you get Trump.
Vote Hillary.
Knightwatch says
Hey, Trumpistas, he doesn’t pay income taxes… ever! You do. Think he represents you? Think he cares that you support schools, roads, law enforcement and military, and he doesn’t? Think he cares that you face a reckoning
each April 15th and he doesn’t. He just laughs and flies around in his private jet and bathes in his gold-gilded tub.
Is he thinking about how to help you?
Can’t wait to hear you spin this one.
IMO says
Knightwatch…there is absolutely no proof Donald Trump does not pay taxes.
Then of course we do know he pays millions in sales taxes, property taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes for his employees each year.
It is now being reported the Clinton’s used the same tax break as to losses that Trump did on their 2014 taxes. Oops!
Then of course the hundreds of millions of dollars donated to the Clinton Foundation A/K/A The Clinton Slush Fund are not considered income at all. They have not paid one penny in taxes as to “Donations” to their Foundation.
IMO says
10/3/2016 polls – Trump takes lead in Colorado and Nevada.