Upstart Rick Scott holds a 43 – 32 percentage lead over Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, a Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday revealed. But, 23 percent are remain undecided and 43 percent say they might change their mind.
In the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, outsider and businessman Jeff Greene has a whopping 33 – 23 lead over long established politician U.S. Rep. Kendrick. But here again, 35 percent are undecided and 54 percent say they could change their mind before primary day on August 24.
Both Scott and Greene, two outsiders, have jumped ahead of long established career politicians, McCollum and Meek, and surely underpins the anti-incumbent, anti-establishment sentiment sweeping the country.
There is also another factor–both Scott and Greene who are multi-millionaires, have expended their personal funds to make themselves known to the Florida voter.
According to Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, “If there was any doubt that enough money can make a political unknown into a front- runner, the Democratic Senate primary and the Republican primary for governor should lay them to rest.”
Added Brown,”Both Greene and Scott have come from nowhere to hold double-digit leads with just a little more than three weeks until the voting.”
Noting that things could change before election day, Brown said that it is unlikely that their opponents will outspend them down the home stretch, leaving both Greene and Scott in enviable positions.
The poll also showed that by a margin of 54 – 28 percent, voters when asked if they favored a candidate with years of government experience or a government outsider, GOP primary voters opted for the outsider, which favors Scott.
Other poll results that favor Scott are:
- Among likely Republican primary voters, Scott is viewed favorably by 39 percent, unfavorably by 26 percent, compared to McCollum’s split 34 – 34 percent       favorability rating;
- Asked which candidate would do a better job rebuilding Florida’s economy, Scott leads by almost two-to-one, 45 – 23 percent;
- Voters believe Scott shares their values more than McCollum, 38 – 26 percent;
- They see Scott as more consistently conservative, 38 – 26 percent.
The Scott poll results contrast with those of the Greene-Meek race.
Although Greene holds a 10 point lead over rival Meek, likely voters say, 44 -35 percent that they would prefer a candidate with long government experience.
Greene’s favorability among likely Democratic primary voters is 31 – 18 percent, with 47 percent who say they don’t know enough about him to form an opinion. Meek gets a 28 – 13 percent favorability, with 55 percent who don’t know enough about him.
By 26 – 21 percent they say Greene most shares their values, with 46 percent undecided. By 22 – 16 percent they say Meek is more consistently liberal, with 57 percent undecided.
The Quinnipiac University poll surveyed 760 Republicans and 782 Democratic likely primary voters during the period July 22- 27 and has a margin of error of +/ -3.6 percent and +/- 3.5 percentage points, respectively.
