The mixed results in the two swing states, which are both holding primaries on March 17, underscore the challenging terrain Sanders faces in a one-on-one race with Biden and as he encounters more moderate voters — in contrast to the Latinos in liberal states like California and Nevada, where he won Latino voters by 27 points and 33 points, respectively, according to exit and entrance polls. Sanders beat Biden by 13 points among Texas Latinos, many of whom are of Mexican descent.

But Florida Hispanics have more varied backgrounds. Many fled — or have friends, relatives or neighbors who fled — Latin American countries whose leftist leaders Sanders, a self-described “Democratic Socialist,” has partly praised at times, found some common cause with or failed to condemn without qualification. It’s caused a dent in Sanders’ Hispanic support in the state.

In Florida, only 18 percent of Hispanic voters in the poll said they would vote for a self-described socialist; 70 percent said they would not. Among Hispanic Democrats, 25 percent said they would vote for a socialist, and 59 percent said they wouldn’t.

Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker said age is the biggest predictor for which candidate a Hispanic voter will support. Those under 50 disproportionately say they will vote for Sanders, and those over 50 back Biden, who is feverishly trying to reverse his fortunes with Latino voters.

“The problem Sanders has is that he’s relying on the least reliable voters to turn out and carry him across the finish line. And they haven’t turned out,” Coker said.

The differences in opinion between the two states’ Latinos are notable. Coker said that’s partly due to place of origin for the different Hispanic populations. Those of Mexican descent are about 80 percent of the voting population in Arizona, Coker said, but they’re about 9 percent in Florida.

In Florida, those of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent each account for about a third of voters; the rest trace roots throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Cuban-Americans tend to be far-more Republican than other Hispanics and have some of the best turnout rates in the state. Florida Puerto Ricans, who lean Democratic, have relatively low turnout rates.

In Florida, Sanders (44 percent) runs neck-and-neck with President Donald Trump (45 percent) — a result that would all but ensure the Vermont senator's defeat in the nation’s biggest swing state, where Democrats usually need to beat Republicans by at least 20 points among Hispanic voters to have a shot of winning.

Biden, on the other hand, leads Trump among all Hispanic voters, 58 percent to 38 percent, in a hypothetical matchup in Florida.

In Arizona, Sanders matches up well against Trump among Latinos, beating him, 68 percent to 23 percent. But Biden does even better, besting the president, 72 percent to 20 percent.

Though Biden does better against Trump than Sanders among Latinos overall, Latino Democrats narrowly thought Sanders was a better matchup against the incumbent, 44 percent to 38 percent. But Republican and independent Latinos favored Biden more strongly.

In Arizona, 26 percent of Latinos approve of the president’s job performance, and 67 percent disapprove. In Florida, Hispanics are split on Trump's job approval: 46 percent approve, and 47 percent disapprove.

By big margins, Arizona Latinos favor a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and they believe that immigration is of some or great importance to them as an issue in the elections. A majority of Latinos, 52 percent, believe that they’re widely persecuted or discriminated against in Arizona, which has had a history of racial profiling legislation and policing.

Because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and because Cubans for decades enjoyed a special pathway to citizenship, Florida’s Hispanic vote is less immigration-centric. But half, 50 percent, disapprove of Trump's immigration policies.

An overwhelming eight-in-10 Florida Hispanics also support granting Venezuelan immigrants temporary protected status, which Trump has so far refused to do. But 52 upport the president’s asylum policy concerning Cubans and Venezuelans. And a nearly identical amount supports more sanctions against the Cuban and Venezuelan governments, including the elimination of commercial flights to both countries. Democrats are opposed, while Republicans and independents are in favor.

Puerto Ricans, the fastest-growing Hispanic group in Florida, have consistently been a bulwark against Trump, with two-thirds disapproving of the president's job performance. But a whopping 78 percent approved of Trump’s handling of earthquakes that recently struck the island, a contrast to the antipathy toward Trump for his administration’s Hurricane Maria response in 2017.

One of the most popular issues for Florida Puerto Ricans in the poll: statehood for the island, which is opposed by Trump and many Republicans in Congress. The poll showed 79 percent in favor, and 15 percent opposed. Overall, Florida Hispanics supported statehood, 70 percent to 23 percent.

The Arizona poll was conducted March 4-6, surveying 625 Latino voters for a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The poll included an oversample of 400 Latino Democrats likely to vote in next week's primary, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

The Florida poll surveyed the same number of Hispanic voters and Democratic oversample. That survey was conducted March 4-7.