Quinnipiac poll: President Barack Obama pulls ahead of Mitt Romney

TALLAHASSEE -- In a preview of a likely November tossup election, President Barack Obama has pulled ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the latest Quinnipiac poll by 46 percent to 42 percent.

Last month, Romney was ahead of Obama 47 percent to 41 percent. In a March poll, Obama led 49 percent to 42 percent.

“The president is doing better among independent voters,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “It also is worth noting that the last Quinnipiac University Florida poll was on the heels of the president’s backing of gay marriage, which might have hurt him at that time. "

According to the poll, independent voters shifted from 44 percent percent for Romney and 36 percent for Obama in March to 46 percent for Obama and 37 percent for Romney today.

From June 12 – 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,697 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points.

The poll also surveyed voters on the U.S. Senate race, which narrowed yesterday when former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux decided to drop out.

Among Republican voters, 41 percent back U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, with 8 percent saying they preferred LeMieux and 5 percent voting for Tea Party favorite Mike McCalister. Former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon got 3 percent. Another 39 percent of Republicans are undecided.

U.S. Sen Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would still edge Mack though in a head-to-head match up. According to the poll, 43 percent favored Nelson and 39 percent liked Mack.

“At this point, the Republican Senate nomination is Congressman Connie Mack’s to lose,” said Brown. “In politics, anything is possible and we still have two months to go until the Senate primary, but it would take a major change in public opinion for one of the other candidates to stop Connie Mack. And the projected November election between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Mack looks like it could go down to the wire.”