If Marco Rubio doesn’t run for a second term in the Senate, there’s no clear favorite for the Republican nomination, a new poll shows.
Mason Dixon released a survey of Florida Republicans on Monday which shows most of the five major candidates remain unknown.
Businessman Carlos Beruff, who is already on the airwaves with TV and radio spots, leads the pack with 17 percent followed by Congressman David Jolly with 13 percent. Congressman Ron DeSantis follows with 10 percent while Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera pulls 9 percent. Businessman and Army veteran Todd Wilcox takes 2 percent in the poll. But a plurality of Florida Republicans--44 percent--remain undecided.
Rubio has until June 24 to decide if he is running for a second term. While Rubio said he would not run again, top Republicans--including presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the NRSC--have urged him to seek a second term, insisting he has the best chance of keeping the seat in the GOP column. Democrats are hopeful of flipping control of the Senate in November as several Republican incumbents are running for reelection in traditionally blue states.
The poll shows most Florida Republicans--77 percent--want Rubio to run for reelection while only 16 percent think he should stay out of the Senate race. Beruff and Wilcox say they will stay in the race even if Rubio decides to run again. Jolly has said he would bow out of the race if Rubio gets in. Lopez-Cantera is expected to end his bid if Rubio chooses to run again.
Of the five current candidates, Beruff is the best known of the bunch with 23 percent of Florida Republicans seeing him as favorable while 9 percent view him unfavorably. A quarter of those surveyed--25 percent--have heard of Beruff and are neutral on him while percent have never heard of him.
A majority of Florida Republicans--57 percent--are not familiar with Jolly while 18 percent see him favorably and 3 percent view him in an unfavorable light. Almost a quarter--22 percent--have heard of him and are neutral.
DeSantis is seen as favorable by 11 percent and unfavorable by 2 percent. Most Florida Republicans--60 percent---don’t know him while 27 percent are neutral on him.
Two-thirds of Florida Republicans--67 percent--don’t know Lopez-Cantera while 21 percent are neutral on him. Lopez-Cantera is seen as favorable by 10 percent and unfavorable by 2 percent.
Wilcox is the least known of the candidates with 79 percent of Florida Republicans say they aren’t sure of him and 14 percent being neutral on him. While 1 percent see Wilcox as unfavorable, 6 percent view him favorably.
The poll of 400 Florida Republicans was taken from May 31-June 2 and had a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.
