Drew Wilson
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is Florida’s most popular politician, according to a survey released Tuesday by Public Policy Polling.
The poll found 40 percent of Florida voters approve of the third-term Senator, compared to 32 percent who disapprove. The numbers put him ahead of two of the Sunshine State’s other statewide elected officials: Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
Democrats were the most satisfied with Nelson’s job performance, with 53 percent approving and 15 percent saying they disapprove. Independents also favored the Senator 44-to-28, though Republican respondents said they disapproved of him by a 49-27 margin.
Scott had about the same number of fans in the poll — 38 percent said he is doing a good job — though his 48 percent disapproval rating is through the roof compared to Nelson.
The second-term Republican did fine with GOP respondents, who came in at 62-27 in favor though just 14 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of independents polled felt the same way.
Scott isn’t in last place, however. Just 31 percent of those polled said Rubio, one of the five remaining Republican presidential candidates, was doing a good job, with 55 percent disapproving of the first-term Senator’s performance.
The PPP poll surveyed 1,012 registered Florida voters, including 464 likely Republican Primary voters and 388 likely Democratic Primary voters. The poll’s margin of error is 3.1 percent overall, with Republicans having a 4.6 percent margin of error and Democrats having a 5 percent margin.
