FAU Poll Finds Biden With Big Lead on Sanders in Florida, While Trump Has Narrow Edge Over Democratic Contenders

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With one week left before the Florida primary, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has opened up a commanding lead on U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders among Florida voters in the race for the Democratic party's nomination for president, according to a statewide survey by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI).  

Among the Democratic candidates, Biden has increased his support to 61 percent, up from 42 percent in BEPI's January poll. Sanders is at 25 percent, up from 14 percent support in January. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard had 3 percent support, while 10 percent of voters said they're still undecided. The margin of error in the Democratic primary polling was 4.9 percent.

Nearly four out of five voters in the Democratic primary (79 percent) said they will definitely vote for their top choice, up from 54 percent in January. As had been seen nationally, there is a generational divide among the Democratic candidates' supporters, with Sanders leading 35-15 percent among voters 18-29 years old, but trailing with older voters. Biden leads 58-34 percent among voters 30-49 years old, 71-19 percent among those 50-64 years old and 82-13 percent among voters over 65. 

Both Biden and Sanders trail in head-to-head matchups against U.S. President Donald Trump. Biden fared slightly better, losing 51 to 49 percent, while Sanders came up six points short, 53-47 percent.

In ranking their most important issues, voters placed healthcare at the top at 26 percent, followed by the economy at 23 percent.

A slight majority of voters, 52 percent, are confident the federal government will be able to handle an outbreak of coronavirus in the U.S., while 31 percent are not confident. Voters' confidence splits along party lines, with 77 percent of Republicans confident in the government, compared to only 38 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of Independents.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to score well with voters, with 54 percent approval and 20 percent disapproval. Trump's approval rating is rising among Florida voters, with 49 percent approval and 41 percent disapproval.

The survey, which was conducted March 5-7 and polled 1,216 Florida registered voters, has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points. The polling results are available at www.business.fau.edu/bepi.

SOURCE Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative