While other polls have shown that U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the front-runner in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, is running close with Bill Nelson, a poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, shows the Democrat incumbent with a solid lead.
The PPP poll unveiled on Thursday shows Nelson taking 49 percent when matched up with Mack, who follows with 36 percent. Nelson beats former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is also running for the Republican nomination, by the same margin, taking 48 percent while the Republican follows with 35 percent. Nelson beats two other potential Republican opponents -- former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon and businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCalister -- by 14 percent apiece.
Bill Nelson continues to be favored for re-election, said Dean Debnam, the president of PPP, on Thursday.
But the poll shows Nelson, who has been on the state and national political stage for four decades, remains unknown to many Floridians. While 39 percent approve of Nelson and 31 percent disapprove, 30 percent of those surveyed do not have an opinion of him.
The poll shows that all four of the Republican hopefuls remain unknown to most voters. Mack is the best known Republican candidate with 19 percent seeing him in a favorable light and 27 percent viewing him as unfavorable. Despite his 16 months in the Senate, only 10 percent see LeMieux as favorable while 22 percent have an unfavorable view of him. While 9 percent see McCalister as favorable, 13 percent view him in an unfavorable light. Weldon jumped in the race last month and 9 percent see him as favorable and 12 percent as unfavorable.
Like other polls, the PPP survey did show that Mack is ahead of the rest of the Republicans. Mack takes 34 percent of Republicans surveyed followed by LeMieux with 13 percent and McCalister in third with 10 percent. In the first poll that included him, Weldon lags with 6 percent.
Connie Mack IV is still the clear favorite on the Republican side, with Dave Weldon having little immediate impact on the race, said Debnam.
The PPP general poll included 642 Florida voters and was taken from May 31-June 3 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percent. PPP also polled 448 Florida Republican primary voters over the same period with a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
