Poll: Clinton leads Sanders among voters in Ohio and Florida

COLUMBUS

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders among voters in Ohio and Florida, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Poll.

Clinton topped Sanders 62 percent-32 percent in Florida and 52 percent-43 percent in Ohio, though 16-17 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they might change their mind.

“In both states, the number of undecided voters is smaller than her lead, meaning that to be victorious Sanders has to get all the undecideds and then take Clinton voters away from her,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the poll, said in a released statement. “The fact that there is no meaningful difference between the two candidates’ supporters when it comes to professed loyalty to their candidate contributes to Sen. Sanders’ problems.”

Connecticut-based Quinnipiac regularly gauges the opinions of voters in Ohio and other swing states on candidates and issues.

Its latest poll included 511 voters in Florida and 521 in Ohio. The results had a margin of error of about 4 percentage points.

Brown said Clinton has a nearly “unsurmountable” lead among women in both states — women voters in Ohio side with her, 59 percent-34 percent, over Sanders.

But more men (53 percent) picked Sanders over Clinton (44 percent).

Sanders also was backed by voters age 18-44 (65 percent-34 percent), while Clinton was preferred by those 45-64 (64 percent-29 percent) and older than 65 (68 percent-24 percent).

Clinton is more than halfway to the Democratic nomination, with 1,200-plus delegates toward the nearly 2,400 required. Sanders won Michigan Tuesday and has 571 delegates.

Both plan to be in Ohio in coming days, in advance of Tuesday’s primary; they’ll headline an Ohio Democratic Party dinner in Columbus Sunday night.

“It is certainly a long shot, but Ohio is potentially a different situation for Sen. Sanders,” Brown said. “With a 52-43 percent lead, Secretary Clinton’s advantage is impressive, but nowhere as large as the 30 percentage point lead she has in Florida.”