Donald Trump would beat both former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio by wide margins if the Republican primary were held today in Florida, according to a new survey.
Twenty-six percent of 1,902 Republicans surveyed for The St. Petersburg Times said they would vote for Trump, vs. 20 percent for Bush and 10 percent for Rubio, based on results released Wednesday.
The Sunshine State Republicans were asked to choose among eight candidates. The survey was conducted July 18-28 and has a margin of error of 2 percent.
Twelve percent would vote for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, while 16 percent said they were undecided or would vote for a candidate not named in the poll.
Here is how the remaining candidates fared:
- Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, 5 percent.
- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 4 percent each.
- Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, 3 percent.
Trump continues to lead in national polls among GOP candidates — and Wednesday's survey shows the developer on top for the first time in Florida this year.
The St. Petersburg Times poll also comes as the first Republican debate nears Aug. 6 in Cleveland.
Trump told CNN Tuesday that he would not prepare for the contest with a debate coach.
"I am what I am," he told Don Lemon in an interview. He cited the 2012 debates between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama.
"Romney had a debate coach, and Obama had a debate coach," Trump said. "I thought Obama was terrible, but Romney got worse and worse every time there was a debate. By the time they had third debate, he was catastrophic.
"I have to be myself," Trump added. "If it is not good enough, that's OK."
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