Big Shift for Bloomberg, Biden in New Florida Poll

Michael Bloomberg's 2020 strategy of skipping the early states and pouring money into those that vote later appears to be paying off in the crucial swing state of Florida. A new survey from St. Pete Polls has him on top there—and the development appears to have come at the expense of Joe Biden, reports the Hill. A month ago, Biden easily led the pack at 41%, while Bloomberg had 17.3%. In the new survey, Biden has cratered to 25%, while Bloomberg has risen to 27.3%. Behind them are Pete Buttigieg (10.5%), Bernie Sanders (10.4%), Amy Klobuchar (8.6%), and Elizabeth Warren (4.8%).

"Oh my," writes Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, noting the dramatic reversal of fortune for Bloomberg and Biden. "A few hundred million ad dollars later, Bloomberg now looks very much like a player in the Sunshine State," he writes. "If that’s all it takes to undercut Biden, then he wasn’t ever going to survive a frontal collision with Donald Trump." Florida Politics reports that Bloomberg has spent at least $11 million on TV ads in Florida's big markets, while his Democratic rivals have yet to begin focusing on the state. Florida's primary is March 17. (More Michael Bloomberg 2020 stories.)