Poll Finds Connie Mack Changes the Senate Race

Quinnipiac University released a poll Friday that showed Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack is running right behind Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in a possible 2012 match-up. Nelson takes 42 percent in the poll while Mack, who is expected in coming weeks to formally enter the race for the seat his father held for t12 years, garners 40 percent.

"The entrance of Congressman Connie Mack into the Senate race changes what had been shaping up as an easy re-election for Senator Bill Nelson into a tough fight that the incumbent could lose," said PeterBrown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement released on Friday. "The fact that Mack is essentially tied with Nelson, who has been a statewide political figure for two decades, should set off warning bells at Democratic headquarters."

Mack leads the Republican primary field with 32 percent. Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux takes second with 9 percent. Businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCallister stands in third with 6 percent. Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner and restaurant executive Craig Miller lag behind with 2 percent each.

The remainder of those surveyed were undecided.

The poll of 1,185 registered voters was taken from Oct. 31-Nov. 7 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. This sample of 513 Republicans had a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percent.