Florida Republican Polls 2016: Donald Trump Has the Lead

Early polls show Donald Trump with a comfortable lead in Florida. (Getty)

While there are a few more primaries prior to Florida, the eyes of the Republican party continue to be on the Sunshine State. The candidates are eyeing the 99 delegates at stake. Marco Rubio faces a must-win scenario in his home state with his slow start in earlier primaries.

The early polls show Donald Trump with a sizable lead. The Rubio campaign has put a lot of time and money into Florida hoping they can narrow the deficit.

The polls were taken prior to Ted Cruz’s big March 6 victories in Maine and Kansas. Cruz hopes the momentum can help him gain votes in Florida.

It is important to note that the following polls were taken while Ben Carson was still one of the candidates. Carson announced this week that he has suspended his campaign.

As we saw in the March 6 elections, the results can vary greatly from polling numbers. There is still a good amount of time between the polling and the actual Florida primary.

Here’s a look at the early Florida GOP polling numbers.

RealClear Politics Average

RealClear Politics keeps a running average of the Florida polls. The average includes data from three polls. The PPP poll conducted February 24-25, the Gravis poll conducted on February 24, and the Quinnipiac poll conducted February 21-24.

The Tarrance Group

The poll was conducted for Our Principles PAC by The Tarrance Group. It was conducted February 29-March 2. It is important to note that the poll was taken by an Anti-Trump group according to the Miami Herald.

PPP

The PPP poll was conducted February 24-25. It has a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.

Gravis

The Gravis poll was conducted February 24. It has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.

Quinnipiac

The Quinnipiac poll was conducted February 21-24. It has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.