Q Poll: McCollum Ahead of Scott, Meek Leading Greene

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday finds the tide has turned in the favor of politicians running against wealthy businessmen in both the Republican gubernatorial primary and the contest for the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

The poll had Attorney General Bill McCollum ahead of health-care executive Rick Scott for Republican gubernatorial nomination. McCollum pulled 44 percent with Scott at 35 percent -- a reversal of the poll released at the end of July that had Scott ahead 43 to 32 percent. The poll found 19 percent of Republicans remained undecided and that 32 percent of those who backed either of the candidates could change their mind.

The poll also had U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek ahead of Jeff Greene for the Democratic nomination in the Senate race. Meek carried 35 percent and Greene took 28 percent. Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre placed third with 6 percent. Again, this is a reversal of the poll Quinnipiac took at the end of July which had Greene ahead of Meek 33 to 23 percent.

The poll of 807 Republicans conducted between August 11-16 had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. The poll of 814 Democrats taken over the same period had a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent.

A Voter Survey Service poll commissioned by Sunshine State News also released Wednesday has the race much closer. The survey of 1,000 Republican likely voters conducted Aug. 12-15 has Scott up 44 to 42 percent over McCollum. The poll's margin of error is 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.