2016 Florida Democratic presidential primary


The 2016 Florida Democratic presidential primary took place on March 15 in the U.S. state of Florida as one of the Democratic Party's primaries ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
On the same day, the Democratic Party held primaries in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, while the Republican Party held primaries in the same five states, including their own Florida primary, plus the Northern Mariana Islands.

Debates and forums

March 2016 debate in Miami

On March 9, 2016, the Democratic Party held an eighth presidential debate at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. It was broadcast through a partnership between Univision and The Washington Post.

Opinion polling

Results

Results by district

Results by county

CountyClintonVotesSandersVotes
Alachua49.2%17,73348.8% 17,590
Baker38.5%654 47.4% 805
Bay52.6% 5,209 41.7% 4,131
Bradford48.7% 1,056 41.8% 908
Brevard59.7%31,835 37.7% 20,083
Broward72.5%132,527 26.4% 48,330
Calhoun36.2% 437 45.2% 545
Charlotte62.1% 8,125 35.4% 4,634
Citrus56.3% 6,863 39.2% 4,776
Clay57.1% 5,345 39.5% 3,698
Collier66.1%12,712 31.9% 6,127
Columbia52.9% 2,299 38.6% 1,676
DeSoto52.6% 98738.7% 726
Dixie40.2% 409 45.1% 459
Duval67.2%58,632 30.6% 26,716
Escambia62.2%16,765 34.6% 9,318
Flagler65.8% 6,152 31.9%2,977
Franklin47.0% 665 45.7% 647
Gadsden76.4% 7,446 20.0% 1,944
Gilchrist37.5% 428 50.7% 578
Glades49.9% 387 40.3% 313
Gulf47.4% 568 43.4% 520
Hamilton54.7% 758 34.6% 479
Hardee52.7% 529 39.1% 393
Hendry60.6% 1,156 33.9% 647
Hernando59.6% 8,882 37.0% 5,512
Highlands61.4% 3,711 34.0% 2,054
Hillsborough62.8%68,936 35.1% 38,505
Holmes28.3% 339 51.7% 619
Indian River62.4% 6,897 35.5% 3,926
Jackson53.9% 2,798 35.5% 1,840
Jefferson64.6% 1,671 29.5% 762
Lafayette30.0% 295 50.9% 501
Lake63.5%15,914 33.8% 8,465
Lee62.7%27,940 35.0% 15,624
Leon56.5%27,333 41.1% 19,866
Levy50.0%1,570 43.1% 1,354
Liberty38.0% 316 47.1% 392
Madison62.4% 1,542 30.0% 741
Manatee62.5%18,116 35.1% 10,165
Marion62.7%18,220 34.1% 9,892
Martin59.8% 6,523 37.6% 4,101
Miami-Dade74.7%129,467 24.3% 42,009
Monroe55.3% 4,830 42.8% 3,739
Nassau56.2%2,91039.8% 2,060
Okaloosa52.0% 4,559 43.1% 3,782
Okeechobee55.2% 1,150 37.6% 784
Orange63.8%66,654 35.1% 36,639
Osceola68.2%16,512 30.0% 7,273
Palm Beach71.5%103,369 27.2% 39,314
Pasco58.3%21,760 38.9% 14,493
Pinellas60.3%63,699 37.6% 39,742
Polk63.0%29,328 33.3% 15,473
Putnam49.4%3,18242.7% 2,747
Santa Rosa49.2% 3,938 45.0% 3,602
Sarasota61.1%25,881 37.3% 15,776
Seminole58.3%22,069 39.9% 15,100
St. Johns57.0% 9,734 40.7% 6,953
St. Lucie66.9%17,554 30.8% 8,091
Sumter68.1% 7,022 29.3% 3,022
Suwannee42.2% 1,475 44.3% 1,550
Taylor45.9% 983 42.4% 907
Union36.7%336 51.6% 472
Volusia60.2%26,276 37.1% 16,170
Wakulla48.9% 1,659 42.0% 1,424
Walton50.0%1,515 44.9% 1,361
Washington47.1% 858 42.9% 781
Total64.4%1,101,41433.3%568,839

Analysis

Florida was generally viewed as a state Hillary Clinton would win, given her strong performance in previous contests with older voters and non-white voters. Clinton won the Florida Primary by 31 points, winning older voters by a margin of 71-26, and non-white voters by a margin of 74-25. Specifically, she won Hispanic/Latino voters by a margin of 68-32, and African American voters 81-18. Clinton also won white voters by a narrower margin of 53-43. She won across all income and educational attainment levels.
In terms of religious affiliation, Clinton won Protestants in Florida 69-29, Catholics 69-29, and other religious affiliations 68-31. Sanders won voters who identified as agnostic/atheist 56-31. In terms of political ideology, Clinton won liberals 59-41 and moderates/conservatives 70-26. And while Clinton won Democrats 71-28, Sanders won self-identified Independents 55-41.
Clinton won in Miami and along the Gold Coast 73-26, where there is a larger population of Hispanic/Latino voters who in South Florida are predominantly of Cuban or Nicaraguan descent. Clinton also won the Gulf Coast and Mid-Florida 64-35, the Tampa Bay Area 63-37, the Orlando area 62-34, and the Northern Panhandle which is whiter, more conservative and more rural by a smaller margin of 58-37.