Peter Schorsch
On Tuesday, Luis Viera won a runoff election to represent northern Tampa on the City Council.
Viera’s final margin of victory over Jim Davison was 65 votes (2,588 to 2,523) or just over one percent.
Davison finished first in the primary campaign, was endorsed by two of the other five candidates in that election, and outspent Viera 5 to 1.
In other words, Viera’s win is somewhat of a surprise. Unless, that is, you paid attention to what local polling shop, St. Pete Polls, said about the race.
On Sunday, St. Pete Polls released the results of its final survey of the District 7 race and it showed Viera leading Davison by half a percentage point.
In the polling industry, that’s called nailing it.
The Tampa City Council race is just another in a long string of races where St. Pete Polls, um, nailed it.
Not only was St. Pete Polls the first outfit to show Donald Trump winning Florida, it accurately forecast the results from several other tight races, including Charlie Crist vs. David Jolly and state Senate Districts 8 and 18.
I point all of this out because it’s a shame St. Pete Polls does not get more attention and/or respect (we’re looking at you, Caputo), while surveys from St. Leo University and the University of North Florida (UNF had Crist beating Jolly by a ridiculous, non-credible 18 points) garner media coverage.
As you enter the 2018 election cycle, you would do well to pay (more) attention to St. Pete Polls.
