Q Poll Shows a Dead Heat in Governor's Race; Independents Shift?

Republican Rick Scott leads Democrat Alex Sink by a single percentage point in Florida's hotly contested gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac Poll showed today.

The poll has Scott up 45-44 -- closely mirroring the 44-42 margin he held in a Sunshine State News Poll last week. Both survey results were within the statistical margin of error.

Independent voters appear to be shifting the race. Independents, who backed Scott 46-40 at the start of the month, now support Sink 51-34.

Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown said Sink's gain -- from 43-49 deficit in an Oct. 1 survey -- could be tied to voters' belief that she is a more ethical business person. Respondents favored her 44-28 on that issue.

Sink's "favorability" ratings have also risen while Scott's have declined slightly since the previous poll.

How the voters feel about the economy is also directly tied to their vote," Brown said. Among those who think the economy is improving, Sink leads 69-22, while Scott leads 58-25among voters who see the economy getting worse.

Only 20 percent of likely voters say the state economy is getting better, while 34 percent say it is getting worse and 43 percent say it is about the same, Brown reported.