Pete Buttigieg is now neck-and-neck with Donald Trump in key battleground state Florida
Pete Buttigieg (Joe Raedle/Getty)
Openly gay Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is now neck-and-neck with President Donald Trump in the key battleground state of Florida, according to a new poll.
The Mason-Dixon poll of 625 Florida voters scored Buttigieg at 45 compared to Trump’s 49, Politico reports. When the margin of error of four points is taken into consideration, Buttigieg’s is neck-and-neck with the president in the key state.
The only Democratic presidential hopeful who bested Trump in the poll was Joe Biden, who had a narrow 47-45 lead over the Republican president.
Pete Buttigieg has become increasingly popular as the 2020 presidential election draws nearer.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren was easily beaten in the poll by Trump at 51-42, as was Bernie Sanders at 49-44.
Sanders emerged as the least popular Democratic candidate among Florida voters, with just 35 percent of those surveyed saying they had a favourable opinion of him. 52 percent said they had a negative opinion of the Vermont Senator.
The poll was conducted between December 11-16 and suggests that gay candidate Buttigieg is increasing in popularity all the time. Once seen as an underdog in the race, he has since gained national and international attention – and has seemingly won over some voters along the way.
He has also proven popular in Iowa, where he has topped polls. It is thought that voters are drawn to his youth and energy – however, his support among black voters is poor.
His popularity has also soared in Republican stronghold Arizona.
Last month, a poll revealed that Buttigieg’s popularity in Republican stronghold Arizona was soaring and that he was neck-and-neck with Trump in the state.
The poll found that Buttigieg has 43 percent support, compared to Biden’s 44 percent and Trump’s 46 percent, the latest poll shows. This represents a decrease in support for Biden, who led Trump 49 percent to 44 percent in the state based on a May poll.
However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Buttigieg. Last month, he came under fire after old photos emerged of him volunteering for the anti-gay Salvation Army. The charity has attracted controversy on a number of occasions over the years for its anti-LGBT+ stances.
