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Poll: Rubio Leads Murphy by 6 Points in Florida Senate Race

The presidential race is nearly tied

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has managed to consistently keep his lead over Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has managed to consistently keep his lead over Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio continues to hold a slight lead over Democratic challenger Rep. Patrick Murphy. A New York Times/Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday shows the senator up 6 points, 48 percent to 42 percent.

Rubio’s edge lines up with several other recent polls taken of likely Florida voters. A RealClearPolitics average of polls from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12 found Rubio ahead by 6.4 points. 

The race was once considered too close to call, but Rubio has maintained a steady lead in recent weeks. The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call changed the rating of the Florida Senate race from Tossup to Tilts Republican in early August.

[Roll Call’s 2016 Election Guide: Senate]

In the presidential race, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are nearly tied in their battle for the Sunshine State’s 29 electoral votes. The survey found Clinton drawing 41 percent support from likely voters compared to 40 percent for Trump — a lead that’s within the poll’s 3.3-point margin of error. 

Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson garnered 9 percent while Green Party candidate Jill Stein trailed with 2 percent. 

Both Clinton and Trump are strongly disliked by likely Florida voters, poll director Don Levy said.

“Clinton is viewed favorably by 40 percent and unfavorably by 53 percent while Trump’s numbers are 39 positive and 55 percent negative,” Levy said.

The poll surveyed 867 likely voters from Sept. 10-14 via landline telephones and cell phones. 

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