CLINTON TOPS FLORIDA FAVORITE SONS IN 2016 RACE, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS; 91% BACK UNIVERSAL GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS

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1 Peter Brown, Assistant Director, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute (203) Rubenstein Associates, Inc. Public Relations Contact: Pat Smith (212) FOR RELEASE: MARCH 21, 2013 CLINTON TOPS FLORIDA FAVORITE SONS IN 2016 RACE, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS; 91% BACK UNIVERSAL GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has double-digit leads over either of Florida s favorite sons, former Gov. Jeb Bush or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, in an early look at the 2016 presidential election, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. By a 91 8 percent margin, consistent with margins found in other states surveyed by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, Florida voters support universal background checks for gun purchases. Voters in gun-owning households support universal background checks percent. Mrs. Clinton, who shows the most strength of any potential 2016 aspirant in Quinnipiac University s national polls, leads Jeb Bush percent and bests Sen. Rubio percent in a poll of Sunshine State registered voters. Clinton is viewed much more favorably than either man, percent favorable for Clinton, compared to percent favorable for Bush and percent for Rubio. We probably won t know for some time whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, but if she decides to make the race, she begins with a sizable lead in a state that Republicans cannot win the White House without, said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. Florida voters have a very positive view of Mrs. Clinton and it s not just Democrats who feel that way. Mrs. Clinton is viewed favorably by 26 percent of Republicans, not bad for a Democrat who s had her share of battles with the GOP, and gets a percent favorability among the key voting group, independents. Not surprisingly, she gets 93 5 percent favorability among Democrats. She has a 10-point gender gap: 66 percent of women and 56 percent of men view her favorably. -more-

2 Quinnipiac University Poll/March 21, 2013 page 2 In a head-to-head with Jeb Bush, Mrs. Clinton would get 10 percent of Republicans while he would only get 4 percent of Democrats. Independent voters are divided 42 percent for Clinton and 41 percent for Bush. President Obama remains slightly above water in Florida, with a percent job approval rating. Gun-Control Florida voters support percent stricter statewide gun-control laws, with gun owners opposed percent. Attitudes on specific gun measures are: percent support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, with gunowners opposed percent; percent support a nationwide ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with gun-owners opposed percent; percent support placing armed police officers in schools; percent that gun ownership in Florida does more to protect people from crime than to put them at risk; percent say allowing people to own assault weapons makes the country more dangerous rather than safer, with gun owners divided percent. President Barack Obama better reflects their views on guns, 44 percent of Florida voters say, while 45 percent say the National Rifle Association better reflects their views. Floridians views on guns are pretty much in line with results seen in other states surveyed by Quinnipiac University, Brown said. Women are more likely to support restricting guns than men; blacks more than whites and Democrats more than Republicans. The idea of requiring background checks on those who want to buy guns has overwhelming support, 91 8 percent, in a country where getting a majority to agree on anything is often difficult. From March 13 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,000 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research. For more information or RSS feed, visit or call (203) , or follow us on Twitter. 2

3 10. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Jeb Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? Clinton 51% 10% 92% 42% 45% 56% 44% 86% 62% Bush SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA WHITE... COLLEGE DEG BornAgnEv Yes No Prot Cath Men Wom Yes No Clinton 47% 42% 32% 42% 38% 49% 25% 44% Bush SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA Clinton 52% 51% 53% 54% 51% 55% 51% 50% Bush SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Marco Rubio the Republican, for whom would you vote? Clinton 52% 8% 90% 47% 48% 55% 45% 88% 57% Rubio SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA WHITE... COLLEGE DEG BornAgnEv Yes No Prot Cath Men Wom Yes No Clinton 50% 42% 32% 47% 41% 49% 27% 45% Rubio SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA Clinton 55% 51% 52% 56% 55% 54% 53% 51% Rubio SMONE ELSE(VOL) WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) DK/NA

4 12. Is your opinion of Jeb Bush favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? Favorable 50% 87% 27% 48% 50% 50% 58% 20% 41% Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED Is your opinion of Marco Rubio favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? Favorable 41% 81% 12% 41% 45% 38% 48% 10% 39% Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED TREND: Is your opinion of Marco Rubio favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? FAVORABLE... High Low Mar 21 May 23 Feb 03 Aug 19 Jul 30 May 23 Apr Favorable Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about her? Favorable 62% 26% 93% 57% 56% 66% 57% 88% 68% Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED TREND: Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about her? (*Low also 44% Jun 2007) FAVORABLE... High Low Mar 21 May 22 May 1 Apr 2 Dec 5 Mar 21 Apr * Favorable Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED

5 19. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? Approve 50% 7% 89% 46% 47% 52% 41% 95% 52% Disapprove DK/NA WHITE... COLLEGE DEG BornAgnEv Yes No Prot Cath Men Wom Yes No Approve 44% 40% 29% 42% 38% 44% 25% 41% Disapprove DK/NA Approve 51% 49% 51% 54% 51% 54% 48% 48% Disapprove DK/NA TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? APPROVE... High Low Mar 21 Dec 19 Jun 27 Jun 21 May 23 Feb 19 Sep Approve Disapprove DK/NA Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws in Florida? Favor 51% 23% 79% 46% 43% 57% 45% 72% 62% Oppose DK/NA Favor 55% 53% 38% 33% 66% 46% 49% Oppose DK/NA Favor 58% 48% 50% 54% 54% 46% 48% 53% Oppose DK/NA

6 TREND: Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws in Florida? Mar 21 May Favor Oppose DK/NA Do you favor or oppose a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons? Favor 56% 29% 83% 51% 47% 63% 51% 74% 67% Oppose DK/NA Favor 60% 58% 44% 41% 69% 49% 50% Oppose DK/NA Favor 64% 52% 55% 57% 60% 45% 54% 63% Oppose DK/NA Do you favor or oppose a nationwide ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets? Favor 53% 31% 75% 50% 47% 59% 50% 68% 61% Oppose DK/NA Favor 57% 55% 44% 40% 66% 46% 48% Oppose DK/NA Favor 61% 50% 51% 60% 57% 49% 51% 57% Oppose DK/NA

7 31. Do you favor or oppose requiring background checks for all gun buyers? Favor 91% 87% 98% 89% 89% 93% 89% 96% 96% Oppose DK/NA Favor 93% 92% 87% 88% 95% 90% 93% Oppose DK/NA Favor 91% 91% 92% 91% 97% 96% 91% 90% Oppose DK/NA Do you favor or oppose placing an armed police officer in public schools in Florida? Favor 59% 71% 53% 58% 58% 61% 56% 63% 66% Oppose DK/NA Favor 57% 56% 71% 67% 53% 69% 70% Oppose DK/NA Favor 54% 62% 65% 52% 51% 71% 62% 53% Oppose DK/NA

8 33. Do you think that gun ownership in Florida does more to protect people from becoming victims of crime, or does more to put people's safety at risk? Protects people 57% 77% 36% 62% 65% 49% 59% 44% 55% Puts people at risk DK/NA Protects people 55% 52% 70% 71% 44% 60% 62% Puts people at risk DK/NA Protects people 50% 60% 61% 53% 49% 61% 63% 51% Puts people at risk DK/NA Do you think allowing citizens to own assault weapons makes the country safer or more dangerous? Safer 31% 48% 10% 39% 39% 24% 35% 11% 20% More dangerous DK/NA Safer 26% 28% 44% 44% 19% 40% 39% More dangerous DK/NA Safer 29% 32% 30% 34% 26% 37% 35% 25% More dangerous DK/NA

9 35. Who do you think better reflects your views on guns, President Obama or the National Rifle Association? Obama 44% 10% 75% 41% 40% 48% 40% 72% 42% NRA BOTH (VOL) NEITHER (VOL) DK/NA Obama 49% 47% 31% 27% 59% 39% 38% NRA BOTH (VOL) NEITHER (VOL) DK/NA Obama 54% 40% 40% 52% 57% 38% 44% 47% NRA BOTH (VOL) NEITHER (VOL) DK/NA