The Florida Chamber Political Institute (FCPI), affiliated with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, released a poll Monday showing Scott out front with 43 percent and Crist with 39 percent. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie takes 4 percent; 5 percent back other candidates and 7 percent are undecided.
The Florida Chamber also endorsed Scott for another term.
The poll shows 29 percent of those surveyed say jobs and the economy are the most important issues, while 19 percent say education is paramount. Marian Johnson, a senior vice president of the FCPI, thinks that helps give Scott the lead.
Florida voters are smart, said Johnson on Monday. They continue recognizing Gov. Scott is doing what he said he would do. More than 640,000 private-sector jobs have been created since December 2010, our education initiatives are working, and Florida families and small businesses continue to see opportunities for growth. The fact that a majority of polls throughout the last six to eight weeks show voters continuing to prefer Rick Scott over other candidates is a sign that his numbers are solid.
The poll shows both Scott and Crist are doing well with their bases. Scott is backed by 73 percent of Republicans while 72 percent of Democrats support Crist, who left the GOP in 2010 to run for the U.S. Senate with no party affiliation before joining the Democrats in December 2012.
Voters outside the two major parties go Scotts way 41 percent while Crist takes 34 percent. Wyllie draws the backing of 8 percent of voters outside the major parties, 3 percent of Republicans and 2 percent of Democrats.
Men tend to favor Scott more than Crist, with 46 percent backing the governor while 39 percent back Crist. Women are more divided, with 40 percent backing Scott and the same percentage supporting Crist. Wyllie commands 4 percent of men and the same percentage of women.
The poll shows both of the major-party candidates are upside down, though Crist is in far worse shape. While 43 percent of those surveyed see Scott as favorable, 45 percent view him as unfavorable, even as 49 percent approve of his work in Tallahassee. Half of those surveyed -- 50 percent -- see Crist in an unfavorable light while 39 percent see him as favorable.
I believe a major reason Charlie Crist is visibly losing support is because voters are beginning to realize that Rick Scotts focus on jobs is working and that Florida continues to move in the right direction, said Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of the Florida Chamber.
The poll of 813 likely voters was taken Sept. 18-21 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
