A second poll released Wednesday on the gubernatorial race in Florida shows a close contest; it also shows Attorney General Pam Bondi holds a solid lead over her two Democratic rivals and voters in the Sunshine State appear ready to support a proposed state constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana use.
Conservative magazine Human Events commissioned a poll from Gravis Marketing that reveals Gov. Rick Scott is edging former Gov. Charlie Crist, the leading Democratic candidate, in the Florida gubernatorial contest. Earlier in the day, Quinnipiac University found Crist beating Scott by 10 percent.
The poll has Scott with 44 percent, Crist at his heels with 43 percent, 9 percent of voters undecided and Libertarian Adrian Wyllie taking 5 percent. A Gravis poll from February showed Crist leading 47 percent to Scotts 43 percent.
The political poll is good news for Gov. Scott, said Doug Kaplan of Gravis Marketing. He has spent a fortune recently on television ads and, in numerous polls, you see Scott closing in on Crist.
Bondi, running for a second term, holds a larger lead over rival candidates, according to the poll, though the race remains largely unchanged from a Gravis poll back in February.
The poll has Bondi with 45 percent while Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, wins 38 percent as the Democratic candidate. Libertarian attorney Bill Wohlsifer takes 7 percent while 11 percent remain undecided.
When Thurston is replaced by primary rival former DCF Secretary George Sheldon, Bondis lead narrowly increases. In that scenario, Bondi takes 45 percent, Sheldon garners 36 percent, 12 percent are undecided while Wohlsifer remains at 7 percent.
A proposed state constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana use in Florida is in solid shape to pass in November, according to the poll.
The Gravis poll shows 60 percent of those surveyed support the proposed amendment while 32 percent oppose it and 8 percent remain unsure. A Gravis poll from February found 57 percent supported the proposed amendment and 31 percent opposed it, while 11 percent were unsure.
To pass, the proposed amendment will need 60 percent of the November vote.Medical marijuana is at its magic number of 60 percent, said Doug Kaplan of Gravis. I believe getting 60 percent is difficult but, without opposition, medical marijuana passes with 65-to-66 percent. The question is, does it translate to votes for Crist?
The poll of 907 registered voters in Florida was taken April 23-25 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
