Drew Wilson
If Election Day were today, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum would “bring it home.” At least in the Tampa Bay area.
That’s according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling that found the Democratic nominee with 50 percent support among likely general election voters living in the Tampa media market.
His Republican rival, former Congressman Ron DeSantis, was the pick for 45 percent of respondents, with the balance undecided.
The PPP measure, conducted Oct. 25-26, is the latest of many polls to show Gillum leading DeSantis, but it is one of a handful to get into the weeds on top-of-ticket races within a specific region of the state. The most analogous is the St. Pete Polls measure of Pasco County released earlier this week showing DeSantis with a 52-44 percent lead.
Pasco County made up 14 percent of PPP’s sample, while Hillsborough made up a third and Pinellas accounted for 28 percent. The remainder hailed from Sarasota County (13 percent) and Manatee County (10 percent).
Also included in PPP’s poll was a measure of each candidate’s favorability score as well as some top-line results for the U.S. Senate race between term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Scott and incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson.
When it comes to favorability, DeSantis is the more likable guy among Tampa Bay voters — 47 percent said they had a positive opinion of the three-term Congressman compared to 45 percent who said the opposite. His plus-2 score beat out Gillum’s plus-1.
When it comes to the Nelson versus Scott question, the region prefers to stay the course, favoring Nelson 49 percent to 46 percent. Just like the race for Governor, holdouts account for the remaining 5 percent.
The positive numbers for the top-two Democrats on the ballot come in spite of respondents handing President Donald Trump a plus-2 on his job performance thus far, and self-identifying as Trump voters in the 2016 election 48 to 44 percent.
Republicans made up 42 percent of the 524 voters polled, followed by Democrats at 41 percent and independents at 17 percent. More than three-quarters were white, and the gender split was 53 to 47 percent, advantage women. By age, voters under 45 made up 20 percent of respondents, the 46- to 65-year-old bracket accounted for 45 percent with the balance being voters over 65.
The regional results track with the statewide polling averages compiled by RealClearPolitics. In the Guv contest, RCP says Gillum is up 4.5 percentage points. In the U.S. Senate race, RCP says Nelson is 3.2 percentage points ahead of Scott.
With only a handful of days until it’s pencils down on the 2018 cycle, elections forecaster FiveThirtyEight says Nelson has a 75 percent chance to earn a fourth term. The site also says Gillum has an 80 percent chance of breaking the GOP’s 20-year monopoly on the Governor’s mansion.
Election Day is Nov. 6.
5 comments
George
October 26, 2018 at 9:19 pm
Because people in that region want someone to take care of them, even if it’s a commie. Real Men STAND for the flag!
Luke Collins Viet Vet
October 26, 2018 at 9:32 pm
Scum follows scum and so do the hero worshipers. Gillum is a self admitted socialist, a fool who lied on camera. His answer is to convince you it’s only tickets. Well scum suckers the tickets are the tip of the CORRUPTION ICEBERG. And South Florida Jews as a Christian supporter of Israel and financial support for the IDF I can smell BS a mile away. His taxes are going to crush our booming economy. Chasing business away. Between Amazon and Publix there are almost 1 million sq ft. of full employment facilities. His raising of the minimum wage won’t raise income it will crush jobs using kiosks and cutting hours. Crime increased during his tenure as Mayor of Tallahassee. Especially murder.
So you don’t care about taxes? Income or property? Well my kids, your kids, our grandkids and great grandkids do. Where is his money coming from? Bernie, Bloomberg and the Coward of Coward County Sheriff Scott Israel. Part of the cause and effect of the Parkland disaster. You want Communism and all his trash vote for him and all the detritus that comes with him or do you want a man who despite his Ivy league education joined the Navy and did 2 tours in Iraq. Honor and integrity or Socialist Bull crap? There is quite a bit more but we will save it for next time.
I.williams
October 27, 2018 at 12:15 am
Real mens should call a scum bag when they hear/see them wanting to grab American women by their kitty cats. Corruption is rampant since our president took office.. Profits from Rusia, Saudi, Etc. This is not a country ran by values at this time.
Andrew Guillum may or may not be a socialist – Do not know. What I do know is that our president is in bed with Rusia, his father inlaw is a known communist. How is it that a communist is in this country legally?
The real Communist Socialist are in the white house. Victor kanav’s, Melania Kanav’s Trump.
God Bless America.
David Kelley
October 27, 2018 at 2:15 am
Vote common sense or be sorry Florida forever. R E D Ha ha haaaa.
David Kelley
October 27, 2018 at 2:14 am
Vote common sense or be sorry Florida forever. R E D Ha ha haaaa.
Comments are closed.