Less than 50 days to go until the general election, both Gov. Rick Scott and his Democratic challenger former Gov. Charlie Crist are hitting Floridas airwaves as they exchange shots on education and other issues.
Crist launched a new TV commercial on Tuesday in which he goes after Scott on education funding. The ad accuses Scott of cutting taxes for corporations and then slashing education spending.
The former governor looked to play up the personal, noting his family ties to public schools.
My three sisters and I went to public schools in Florida -- two of them are schoolteachers," Crist noted on Tuesday. The work they do is invaluable. But Rick Scott disagrees.
But the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) struck back with an ad of its own on Tuesday, hitting Crist for his record in Tallahassee. The RPOFs ad twists Crists new TV spot and fires at his tenure as governor.
They dont fly in private jets, or float on fancy yachts, the narrator of the RPOF ad says. But the job Florida teachers do couldnt be more valuable. And when Charlie Crist cut education by over a billion dollars, 3,000 teachers lost their jobs. Our kids paid the price.
The RPOF ad also hits Crist for not running for a second term during the worst economic crisis Florida had seen in decades, instead attempting to move to the U.S. Senate.
This marks the second ad the RPOF released this week. The first showcases Scotts softer side and ignores Crist, instead shining the spotlight on Ann Scott who talks about her husbands background and personal experiences.
As a husband, father and grandfather, Rick has always been there for our family, Ann Scott said on Monday. As governor, I have seen him work tirelessly to make sure Floridas families have access to good jobs and a quality education so our future generations can pursue the American dream. I am so proud of all that Florida has achieved under his leadership, but hes not done yet. Rick's mission is simple: to keep Florida working.
In the meantime, a new poll shows Scott starting to build a lead. WFLA News Channel 8 released a poll on Tuesday morning which shows Scott increasing his lead over Crist.
Scott takes 44 percent while Crist garners 39 percent. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie takes 7 percent while 9 percent remain undecided.
Two weeks ago, Scott led the WFLA poll 45 percent to 44 percent. The survey released Tuesday marks the first WFLA poll which had Crist below 40 percent.
The poll, which was taken by Survey USA, had a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
