12:00 PM ET By Alan Rappeport


A supporter of Donald J. Trump at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., on Wednesday.Credit Travis Dove for The New York Times

Donald J. Trump is leading Senator Marco Rubio in Florida, according to a new poll that shows the Republican lawmaker on the ropes in his home state ahead of its primary election next week.

A survey of likely Republican voters in Florida from Suffolk University found that 36 percent support Mr. Trump, while 27 percent back Mr. Rubio. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas comes in third with 19 percent, and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio trails them with 10 percent.

A number of polls this week have shown Mr. Rubio trailing in Florida, a state considered a must win for him to keep his dimming presidential hopes alive. Despite the senator’s ties with the state, Mr. Trump’s message of economic populism and his tough stances on immigration and terrorism have resonated more.

Although Florida voters view Mr. Trump as the least conservative of the remaining Republicans in the field, they still find him appealing, and many said that the New York businessman most reminds them of former President Ronald Reagan — a celebrity Democrat who became a Republican later in life.

Mr. Trump has faced an onslaught of attacks in recent weeks from Mr. Rubio and leaders in the Republican Party, such as Mitt Romney, who have accused him of conning conservatives into supporting him. But Floridians who have already voted early or will cast their primary ballots on Tuesday do not seem too worried about such suggestions when it comes to Mr. Trump.

According to the Suffolk poll, 67 percent are not bothered by the fact that he gave money to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

And Floridians seem to have heard enough from Mr. Romney. Three-fourths of the Republicans questioned said that the 2012 Republican nominee should stay out of the 2016 race, and a majority of voters said that if he endorsed a candidate, it would make no difference or even make them less likely to support that person.

The poll, which was conducted this week, had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/firs...io-in-florida/