Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
With just weeks before the primary, the Senate District 28 race could be a nail-biter.
A new survey by St. Pete Polls found 30 percent of likely Republican primary voters said they were still undecided in the race to replace Sen. Garrett Richter. The survey — commissioned by FloridaPolitics.com — found 36 percent of likely Republican primary voters would vote for Matt Hudson if the election were held today, while 34 percent said they would pick Kathleen Passidomo.
The poll 507 likely Republican Senate District 28 primary voters was conducted July 27. It has a margin of error 4.4 percent.
The close race means Hudson and Passidomo will spend the next few weeks trying to woo undecided voters. The Naples Republicans have already invested significantly in advertising, and outside groups have begun pouring money into the solidly Republican district.
The district includes all of Collier and Hendry counties, and parts of Lee County.
Hudson, who was first elected to the Florida House in 2007 and served as the House Speaker Pro Tempore, represents eastern Collier and all of Hendry in House District 80. Passidomo, who was first elected in 2010, represents coastal Collier in House District 106.
The poll found 45 percent of respondents said they had a favorable opinion of Passidomo. Nearly 28 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion, while 27 percent said they were unsure.
The survey found 34 percent of respondents said they had a favorable opinion of Hudson, while 22 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion of him. Nearly 45 percent of respondents said they were unsure about Hudson.
The two Republicans will square off in the Aug. 30 primary. The winner will face two write-in candidates — both of whom live out of the district — in the November general election.
