Florida is back in the presidential toss-up column, with Republican Mitt Romney moving to a within-the-margin-of-error lead over President Obama in a new Quinnipiac University poll after trailing Obama by 7 points in late March.

Romney holds a 44-to-43 percent edge over Obama in the new Florida poll, which was conducted April 25-May 1 and has a 2.9 percent margin of error. Quinnipiac’s previous poll, released in late March, showed Obama with a 49-to-42 percent advantage in the Sunshine State.

Obama won Florida with 51 percent in 2008.

Florida has a smaller gender gap than Ohio and Pennsylvania, two other swing states where Quinnipiac also released new polls today. Obama has a 44-to-42 percent lead among women voters in Florida, compared to a 13-point advantage with Ohio women and a 17-point lead with female voters in Pennsylvania. Men favor Romney by 4 points in Florida, 10 points in Ohio and 3 points in Pennsylvania.

Obama’s 2-point edge among Florida women in the new poll compares to a 14-point gap in late March.

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THE VILLAGES — Mitt Romney took another shot at Republican presidential rival Rick Perry‘s position on Social Security today but directed most of his salvos at President Obama during an appearance here this afternoon.

He also weighed in on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie‘s decision not to enter the race and on Sen. Marco Rubio‘s prospects as a vice presidential candidate.

Romney spoke to a crowd of about 250 people in this heavily Republican Central Florida retiree community. About 40 Democrats in blue T-shirts — a large turnout for this area — stood outside holding signs critical of Romney.

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