Mitt Romney Leads Obama In Florida, Quinnipiac Poll Shows

Mitt Romney has broken into a slight lead in Florida over President Barack Obama, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

The former Massachusetts governor leads Obama by a 47-41 margin. A May 3 survey showed the two tied at 44-43, and Obama led by a 49-42 margin in a March 28 poll. Other recent polls had shown the two tied or Obama with a slight lead.

Obama won Florida in 2008 by 2.8 percent of the vote. The state swung Republican in 2010, with Republicans winning all statewide offices and picking up four U.S. House seats. Democrats are hoping for a 2008-like turnout to put Obama over the top in the perennial swing state.

Romney leads with independent voters by a 44-36 margin, with men by a 50-37 margin and with whites by a 56-33 margin, according to the poll. Women favor Obama by a 45-44 edge, but blacks favor him by an 85-3 margin and Hispanics by a slim 42-40 edge.

While Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been touted as a vice-presidential candidate to help put Florida squarely in the GOP column, Romney's lead only increased to 49-41 when Rubio's name was added to the poll.