2016 Swing-state poll shows 'red flag' for Clinton

Hillary Clinton appears to have been damaged by revelations about her email use and is not seen as honest or trustworthy by about half of voters in three key states, according to a new poll.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday compares the former secretary of state with potential Republican candidates in swing states Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.


In Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush leads Clinton 45 percent to 42 percent. On Feb. 3, Clinton led Bush in Florida 44 percent to 43 percent.

In Ohio, Clinton leads all Republicans, but some, like Chris Christie, are gaining ground. Christie trails Clinton 45 percent to 39 percent, up since Feb. 3, when Clinton led the New Jersey governor 47 percent to 34 percent.

In Pennsylvania, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is edging out Clinton 45 percent to 44 percent. On Feb. 3, Clinton led Paul 53 percent to 34 percent.

“A red flag in blue state Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton, seemingly invincible before the e-mail scandal, ends up tied with Rand Paul,” Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a news release.

Fifty-one percent of Florida and Ohio voters and 52 percent of Pennsylvania voters said that news of Clinton’s use of a personal email address for official State Department business was “very important” or “somewhat important” to their choice. Still, 56 percent of Florida voters, 61 percent of Ohio voters and 54 percent of Pennsylvania voters said it would not affect their vote.

About half of voters in all three states said they did not see Clinton as honest and trustworthy.

The poll was conducted March 17-28 among 1,087 Florida voters, 1,077 Ohio voters and 1,036 Pennsylvania voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.