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Quinnipiac University released swing state Senate polls for Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio
In Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio would start out ahead if he were to run for re-election
Former presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is ahead in potential reelection matchups, according to a new poll Wednesday.
In a Quinnipiac poll of senate races in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio that was released Wednesday, Rubio leads both potential Democratic challengers in the sunshine state, Rep. Patrick Murphy and Rep. Alan Grayson. He tops Murphy 47% to 40%, and leads Grayson 48% to 40%.
But though sources told CNN Rubio was going to jump in the race, he has yet to officially announce a reelection bid, and has been evasive when pressed on his future plans. The deadline to file for the race is Friday.
In Pennsylvania, incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Toomey leads Democratic opponent Katie McGinty 49% to 40%. And in Ohio, the race is tied at 42% between Republican Sen. Rob Portman former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.
All three senate races in the purple states are expected to be close, and with Democrats poised to make gains facing a favorable senate election map, control of the body – a crucial potential bulwark against either a Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton presidency for the losing side – could come down to just a handful of seats.
The Quinnipiac poll also found that President Barack Obama received his highest approval ratings in all three states in years.
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted from June 8 through June 19. It surveyed 975 Florida voters with a margin of error of 3.1 points; 971 Ohio voters with a margin of error of 3.1 points; and 950 Pennsylvania voters with a margin of error of 3.2 points.