Conservative group American Future Fund released a poll from McLaughlin and Associates on Monday showing Gov. Rick Scott leading former Gov. Charlie Crist in Floridas gubernatorial race.
Scott takes 42 percent while Crist wins 38 percent. Several polls have shown Crist with a lead, but Scott has been making progress in recent months. In April, a poll commissioned by Sunshine State News showed Scott with a slight lead over the former governor.
The new poll finds a majority -- 53 percent -- approve of Scotts job performance. While 36 percent of those surveyed view Scott in an unfavorable light, 44 percent see him favorably.
Crist is upside down in the poll, with 41 percent seeing him as unfavorable while 39 percent view him as favorable.
"Florida, Florida, Florida, as Tim Russert once said, will once again be a leading battleground state in this year's midterm election, said Nick Ryan, the founder of the American Future Fund.
Gov. Scott is holding his own in a head-to-head against the unpopular former Gov. Charlie Crist. The majority of Florida voters believe Gov. Scott has done a good job and he is well-positioned to win a second term this fall."
The poll finds 49 percent of those surveyed think the economy is the most important issue in the state. Asked which candidate would do a better job of managing the economy, 39 percent said Scott would while a quarter of those surveyed -- 25 percent -- opted for Crist. Asked who would do a better job of keeping taxes low and cutting spending, 38 percent thought Scott would do a better job while less than a quarter -- 23 percent -- said Crist.
The poll of 800 likely voters was taken May 4-6 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent. The poll relies on 47 percent men and 53 percent women, while 40 percent of those surveyed are Republican and 37 percent are Democrat. The same team did show Republican David Jolly upsetting Democrat Alex Sink in a special congressional election in Pinellas County back in March.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
