A just released Quinnipiac poll shows, former State House Speaker Marco Rubio leading Gov. Charlie Crist by 3 percentage points, 47 – 44, in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Rubio also tops Governor Crist on trust, values and conservative credentials.
Rubio’s lead over Crist in the horse race represents a major reversal from October when the Governor led 50 – 35 percent; from August’s 55 – 26 percent Crist lead and from June’s lead of 54 – 23 percent.
Rubio beats the leading Democrat, South Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, 44 – 35 percent in a general election matchup, the independent Quinnipiac University poll finds. Crist leads Meek 48 – 36 percent.
“Who would have thunk it? A former state lawmaker virtually unknown outside of his South Florida home whose challenge to an exceedingly popular sitting governor for a U.S. Senate nomination had many insiders scratching their heads. He enters the race 31 points behind and seven months later sneaks into the lead,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “And, the horse race numbers are not a fluke. Rubio also tops Crist on a number of other measurements from registered Republicans, who are the only folks who can vote in the primary. Rubio’s grassroots campaigning among Republican activists around the state clearly has paid off.
