A new poll from Gravis taken for the conservative publication "Human Events" finds Democrats hold the lead in the 2014 gubernatorial and 2016 presidential contests in Florida while Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi starts off in front of her Democratic rivals next year.
The poll shows former Gov. Charlie Crist has a solid lead over Republican Gov. Rick Scott. The poll finds Crist taking 46 percent while Scott is behind with 36 percent. Crist announced last week that he was running as a Democrat.
Unlike recent polls from the University of North Florida (UNF) and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Gravitas poll shows Scott remains upside down in Florida. A majority of those surveyed -- 52 percent -- do not approve of Scott while 33 percent approve of him. Crist remains above water for the moment with 40 percent approving of him and 38 percent disapproving of him.
Crist is seen as better able to understand and to care about the needs of the average Floridian. Almost a majority of those surveyed -- 46 percent -- think Crist is more understanding and caring while 33 percent say Scott is. Still, a plaurality -- 42 percent -- thinks neither candidate would stop to help someone change a flat tire while 36 percent think Crist would and 22 percent say Scott would.
The poll also finds former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, starting out in the lead in Florida over favorite son U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is a possible Republican presidential contender. The poll finds Clinton getting 49 percent over Rubio who takes 45 percent.
Clinton is in good shape in Florida, according to the poll with a majority--54 percent--approving of her while 42 percent disapprove of her. Rubio is treading water with 44 percent approving of him and 43 percent disapproving of him.
The poll finds state Attorney General Pam Bondi starts off with a solid lead over her Democratic rivals as she looks for a second term in 2014, but most voters remain undecided.
Bondi takes 30 percent when matched against House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, who takes 14 percent while the remainder of voters are undecided. Bondi takes 29 percent against former Deputy Attorney General George Sheldon who garners 11 percent.
The poll finds a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- are unfamiliar with Bondi while 25 percent approve of her and 20 percent disapprove. Despite his many years in public service, 95 percent of Florida voters are unfamiliar with Sheldon, though 1 percent approve of him and 4 percent disapprove of him. Thurston is a little better known but 91 percent are unfamiliar with him while 3 percent approve of him and 6 percent disapprove of him.
On a host of issues, the poll finds Floridians divided. On the issue of medical marijuana, which could be before voters next year in a constitutional amendment, 45 percent think the state should legalize it while 41 percent do not. Almost a majority -- 48 percent -- of those surveyed think the state should not have cooperated with the federal government on President Barack Obamas health care law while 43 percent say Florida should have. On gun rights, 42 percent want to restrict them while 36 percent want to expand them. The poll finds Floridians are divided on same-sex marriage with 45 percent supporting it and 43 percent opposing it.
The poll of 932 registered voters in Florida was taken from Nov. 8-11 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
