A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Thursday offers a snapshot of who voters in three pivotal battleground states in the 2012 presidential election -- Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- hope Mitt Romney will choose as his running mate.

Quinnipiac included the following Republican vice presidential possibilities in its poll of the three states: U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, best known for leading the House Budget Committee.

Peter Brown, the assistant director of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said that most of the candidates remained unknown outside their immediate area and the poll shows that states are rallying behind favorite sons.

"When it comes to picking a Republican running mate, geography is the coin of the realm,” Brown said on Thursday. “In Ohio, a quarter of voters say home state Senator Rob Portman would be the best choice, while four in 10 Floridians say that about their senator, Marco Rubio. In Pennsylvania, almost a third favor neighboring Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey.”

The poll shows that a plurality of Florida voters hopes Romney selects Rubio for the ticket. Rubio is the choice of 40 percent of those surveyed while Christie places second in the Sunshine State with 14 percent. Ryan takes third with 7 percent followed by Jindal with 6 percent. Pawlenty and Portman garner 4 percent apiece. Ayotte lags behind with 2 percent. While 21 percent said they didn't know who Romney should select, 3 percent support other candidates for the job.

Portman does much better in his home state of Ohio, but the Buckeye State is not as solidly behind him as the Sunshine State is for Rubio. Portman is the choice of 26 percent of those surveyed in Ohio, while Christie and Rubio are knotted together in second with 14 percent. Ryan places fourth with 8 percent, followed by Jindal with 6 percent. Pawlenty is the choice of 3 percent; Ayotte gets 2 percent. More than a quarter of those surveyed in Ohio -- 26 percent -- are undecided; 2 percent back other possibilities.

While both Christie and Portman are from states that neighbor Pennsylvania, the polls show that voters in the Keystone State hope Romney chooses the governor of New Jersey. More than a quarter of those surveyed in Pennsylvania -- 28 percent -- back Christie, with Rubio placing second with 15 percent. Ryan comes in third with 8 percent, followed by Jindal with 6 percent. Despite being from neighboring Ohio, Portman takes 4 percent and so does Pawlenty. Ayotte trails with 3 percent. Some 27 percent of those surveyed in Pennsylvania are undecided; 4 percent back other candidates.

Brown said the poll did have good news for two of Romney’s possible running mates, but it was far from conclusive.

“Christie and Rubio do best outside their own neighborhoods, but there is far from any kind of consensus about who would be Romney's best choice,” Brown noted.
        
The poll of 1,169 Florida voters, 1,130 Ohio voters and 1,168 Pennsylvania voters was taken from April 25 through May 1 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percent.



Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.