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Poll: Crist's Conservative Rival Gains Ground In Senate Race
October 21, 2009 1:10 p.m. EST
Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
Tallahassee, FL (AHN) - Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has cut his deficit in half and now trails Gov. Charlie Crist by 15 points, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday. The two Republicans are in contention for the party nomination in next year's elections, with Rubio seeking to gain enough support from fellow conservatives by reminding them of Crist's moderate record.
Rubio has the support of 35 percent of all voters compared to the governor's 50 percent, a significant change from the 29-point lead of Crist in August.
The former state House leader still has to educate a vast number of voters, including many members of his own party, about his candidacy, but is viewed more favorably by Republicans than his rival.
Twenty-four percent of voters see Rubio in a positive light, 11 percent view him unfavorably and 64 percent say they "haven't heard enough about him." In August, Rubio's overall favorability was only 15 percent, with 74 percent saying they didn't know enough about him.
Among Republicans, 44 percent have a favorable opinion of Rubio, 11 percent have a negative view, and 52 percent do not have enough information to form an opinion.
In contrast, Crist has a favorable/unfavorable ratio among Republicans of 63 percent to 30 percent. Overall, the governor is viewed positively by 58 percent of voters, not much different from the 60 percent he received in August.
Crist's job approval ratings have also dipped to their lowest in Quinnipiac's polling history, 59 percent. However, he remains the stronger general election candidate: he would beat U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), the top Democratic contender, by a margin of 51-31 percent, while Rubio would narrowly lose to Meek 33-36 percent.
The governor's better showing in a general election match-up stems from his support among independents, who choose him over Meek by a margin of 58-22 percent. Rubio narrowly leads Meek among independent voters, 31-27 percent.
Crist and Rubio are seeking the seat of former Sen. Mel Martinez, who chose not to complete his term. Apart from Meek, former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre is the only other Democrat in the race.
Rubio, 38, has received endorsements from top conservatives such as Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But he has trailed Crist by double-digits since entering the race in May. Earlier this month, he reported raising $1 million for the third quarter, an improvement from the $340,000 he received in the second quarter.
Crist received $2.4 million for the third quarter, and $4.3 million in the previous period. A moderate, he was criticized by conservatives earlier this year for supporting President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus. He has the firm commitment of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the state GOP, but has had to "lay out his conservative credits" of late, in an apparent effort to keep his lead against Rubio.
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