Rubio, Bush Join Pataki as Top Pick of NY Voters: Quinnipiac

New York Republicans, like the rest of the nation, remain closely divided over the 2016 presidential race, giving their state's former Gov. George Pataki and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio each 11 percent of their votes in a new Quinnipiac University poll released Monday.

"Nobody thinks New York will be a swing state in November 2016, but in a Republican primary, which could count, New York's own Gov. George Pataki, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and (former) Gov. Jeb Bush, both from Florida, are the only double-digit finishers in the early going," said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.

Bush received 10 percent of the nod.

However, as the poll carried a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points among Republicans and 2.8 percentage points overall, other potential and declared GOP candidates did not fall far behind:

• Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin received 7 percent of the votes
• Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and businessman Donald Trump tied at 6 percent each
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 5 percent
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, 3 percent each
• Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 2 percent
• Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 1 percent
• Fourteen percent remain undecided

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remained the clear front-runner among Democrats, scoring 55 percent of the state's Democratic voters. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent running for the Democratic ticket, netted 15 percent, and Vice President Joe Biden had 9 percent.

No other Democrats topped 2 percent, and 13 percent are undecided in the poll.

"For the Democrats, the one polling certainty, that a formal decision to run is followed by a bump in the numbers, lets U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders slip in behind — way behind — Hillary Clinton," said Carroll.

Clinton had the most support among women, at 58 percent compared to 51 percent among men. She also gathered the support of 56 percent of those describing themselves as very liberal, 65 percent of those who are somewhat liberal, and 51 percent of self-described moderates or conservatives.

The poll also gave President Barack Obama a split 47-47 percent job approval rating, down from a 51-45 percent approval rating in a March 23 poll.

The poll surveyed 1,229 voters, including 356 Republicans and 508 Democrats, whose side of the poll carried a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

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