United Liberty
FL Senate: Rubio’s lead over Crist holding steady
Tue, 02/02/2010 - 1:12pm | posted by Jason Pye
While the primary is several months away (August 24th), it seems that former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is running away with Republican nomination for United States Senate over Gov. Charlie Crist:
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely GOP Primary voters in the state finds Rubio leading Crist 49% to 37%. Three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and 11% are undecided.
The new numbers mark a stunning turnaround. Crist was the strong favorite when he first announced for the Senate seat, and Rubio was viewed as a long-shot challenger.
But Crist’s support fell from 53% in August to 49% in October. By December, the two men were tied at 43% apiece.
Rubio leads Crist by 17 points among men and by seven among women. He also carries 52% of the conservative GOP vote, while moderates prefer Crist.
Crist is still viewed favorably by GOP voters (62% approve), but they disapprove of his overall performance (56% disapprove) as Governor.
