Fueled by a stratospheric $100 million in spending, candidates topping the primary ballot Monday barnstormed the state in a last-ditch push for voters with polls showing the Republican governors contest tightening and the Democratic battle for U.S. Senate tilting decidedly toward U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.
When they were not sign-waving on street corners or huddling with small groups of voters, candidates up and down Tuesdays ballot relied on automated, celebrity phone-calling to nudge Floridians toward the polls. Republican attorney general candidate Holly Benson, trailing in a crowded field, was christened a proven conservative, by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich in calls to supporters.
Sarah Palin was robo-calling on behalf of Benson rival, Pam Bondi.
Republican gubernatorial contender Rick Scott who, along with his wife, has spent $50 million of the couples money on his race, was endorsed Monday by the Florida TEA Party in a late-hour attempt to power voters in a primary where history shows only about one in five voters casts aballot.
A Quinnipiac University poll Monday showed Attorney General Bill McCollum leading Scott by 4 percentage points, 39 to 35 percent, just barely above the surveys 3.5 percent margin of error. Surveys over the weekend gave McCollum a more comfortable edge with some spotting him as much as a 10 percent lead but even party insiders staunchly behind the attorney general concede there is little room for overconfidence.
While Scotts family spending hit $50 million, McCollum and allied 527 committees have spent $23 million on his campaign.
I think Bills going to win, and I hope he does, said Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island. But this is a difficult year. I dont think anyone can really say what might happen.
Haridopolos planned to spend primary eve looking ahead to the November election hosting a fund-raiser at his home for Republican U.S. Senate contender Marco Rubio. Haridopolos is scheduled to attend McCollums primary night party in the Orlando area after teaching his first day of class this semester at the University of Florida.
His course is ripped from reality this election season. Haridopolos calls it, Three-party Politics.
Weve never seen an election year like this in Florida, Haridopolos conceded.
With the Florida League of Women Voters urging Floridians to top 2006s 20 percent turnout the most recent nonpresidential year Scotts campaign was predicting stunning turnout numbers that would likely help his TV-fueled campaign.
Scott adviser Tony Fabrizio said that elections records show 520,000 Florida Republicans have already voted by absentee or early voting and he predicted an overall GOP turnout topping 1.7 million.
This would represent roughly 41 percent of registered Republicans, a 70 percent increase over the 2006 gubernatorial primary, Fabrizio said. This is consistent with the increased turnout we have seen in Republican primaries across the country where outsiders have shocked the establishment candidates.
While Scott was working to keep pace with McCollum, the Democratic Partys free-spending outsider, Jeff Greene, was fading in his U.S. Senate primary with U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. Greene, who has spent $23 million on his campaign, was trailing Meek 39 to 29 percent, according to the Quinnipiac poll a margin similar to that found in other surveys over the weekend.
During a campaign stop Monday in Tallahassee, Greene dismissed Mondays findings.
The polls change every day, but I can tell you that were getting such an amazing and overwhelming enthusiastic response, he told reporters. Were spending the day thanking our thousands of volunteers and coordinators who are going to get the vote out, because thats what we want tomorrow so that we win this Senate race.
Despite talk of healing the rifts in the Democratic Party, Greene and Meek continued squabbling over a final weekend campaign mailer in which Greene criticized his rivals record on Israel. Greene said he stood by his accusation that Meek had made bland promises about standing with Israel and was silent on the Obama administration considering selling F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
Meeks campaign has called the mailer a new low for Greene. But Meek spokesman Adam Sharon said the campaign found the latest poll findings encouraging."
Keith Lang and Kathleen Haughney of the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
