Scott Powers
What’s in a name?
Democratic congressional candidate Dena Grayson — known as Dena Minning before her Memorial Day weekend wedding to U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson — has surged into a commanding lead in her quest for the Democratic nomination to succeed him in Florida’s 9th Congressional District.
A Gravis Marketing poll commissioned by Dena Grayson’s campaign shows her with 31 percent, compared with just 11 percent for state Sen. Darren Soto and just 4 percent for activist Susannah Randolph. A fourth Democratic candidate, Valleri Crabtree, was not included in the poll.
Gravis surveyed 554 registered Democrats who self-identified as being likely to vote in the Democratic primary.
Grayson is a biomedical researcher who entered the race last July but maintained a low profile until her May 29 marriage to the incumbent Democratic congressman and the June 2 launch of the public visibility part of her campaign.
The primary is Aug. 30.
Soto, Randolph and Crabtree have been actively campaigning in CD 9, which includes south-central Orange County, all of Osceola County, and eastern Polk County, for a year or more each.
The same poll found 54 percent were undecided, meaning there remains a great deal of fluidity in the race.
The same poll also found that Alan Grayson should easily win his home district in his quest for the nomination to run for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat. Forty-six percent said they would vote for Grayson, 10 percent for U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Jupiter and 8 percent for Miami lawyer Pam Keith.
Again, however, a huge chunk of voters remained undecided: 35 percent.
