A poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling, a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, shows that Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson holds a lead over his potential Republican challengers but remains vulnerable in his bid to win a third term.
The poll shows Nelson with 47 percent, leading U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, who follows with 37 percent. Nelson does better against the two other leading Republicans in the race, beating businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCalister, 47 percent to 35 percent, and leading former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux by an even larger margin, 48 percent to 34 percent.
But the poll also shows that Nelson, despite his four decades on the political stage in Florida, remains unknown to many voters in the Sunshine State. While 36 percent of those polled approve of Nelsons job in the Senate and 32 percent disapprove, a third of those surveyed -- 33 percent -- are undecided.
The poll shows Nelson remains unfamiliar to many Democrats with 55 percent approving, 13 percent disapproving and 31 percent not sure of what they think of Floridas senior senator. While 35 percent of Republicans are not sure about Nelson, 15 percent see him in a favorable light and 50 percent in an unfavorable one. Independents give Nelson mixed marks, with 37 percent seeing him as favorable, 34 percent as unfavorable and 29 percent unsure.
The poll finds that the field of Republican candidates remains largely unknown. While 20 percent of those surveyed see Mack in a favorable light, 27 percent see him as unfavorable but most voters -- 53 percent -- are not sure about the congressman. LeMieux is even more unknown, despite his 16 months in the U.S. Senate. While 10 percent see LeMieux as favorable, 25 percent see him as unfavorable and 65 percent are not sure. McCalister, who pulled more than 10 percent in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, is the most unknown of the candidates. Only 6 percent see McCalister as favorable while 17 percent view him as unfavorable; 77 percent are not sure.
Even among Republicans, the three GOP hopefuls looking to challenge Nelson remain mostly unknown. More than half -- 53 percent -- are not sure about Mack while 30 percent see him as favorable and 18 percent as unfavorable. While 68 percent of Republicans do not know enough about LeMieux to have an opinion of him, 18 percent see him as unfavorable and 14 percent as favorable. McCalister is, once again, the most unknown candidate. More than three-quarters of the Republicans surveyed -- 78 percent -- remain uncommitted about McCalister while 14 percent see him as unfavorable and 8 percent as favorable.
The poll did not include state CFO Jeff Atwater whose name has been generating buzz in recent days as a possible Republican Senate candidate.
The poll of 700 Florida voters was taken from April 12-15 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
