TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Supported by the coalition of voters that catapulted him to the presidency four years ago, Barack Obama has regained a small lead over challenger Mitt Romney among Florida voters, a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday shows.

Obama was favored by 46 percent compared to 42 percent who preferred Romney in Quinnipiac's random telephone survey of 1,697 registered voters in the nation's largest swing state. The poll taken June 12-18 has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Romney led in a similar Quinnipiac survey last month when he was preferred by 47 percent to Obama's 41 percent. The president benefited most from a big swing among independent voters who preferred Obama by a 46-37 margin. A month ago, independents chose Romney by a 44-36 margin.