Phil Ammann
State Rep. Travis Hutson has a distinct edge with GOP primary voters in the special election for Senate District 6, according to a new survey of likely voters obtained by FloridaPolitics.com.
Hutson is facing fellow Republican State Representative “Doc” Renuart in the race to replace former Sen. John Thrasher, who vacated the seat to become president of Florida State University.
In the GOP primary set for Jan. 27, Hutson commands 37% of the vote, with Renuart at 19%. Republican Dennis McDonald receives 9% of the vote, and 35% remain undecided.
The poll was conducted by Associated Industries of Florida.
Hutson, who has managed a substantial money advantage in the SD 6 race, is also benefiting from a bump in popularity.
After polling most likely voters, those who cast ballots in the last two Republican primaries, Hutson enjoys a 49% favorable and 7% unfavorable rating, while Renuart runs at 25% favorable to 16% unfavorable.
These numbers are a notable improvement for Hutson — more than 25 points – in approval ratings taken from a similar survey taken in December. At the same time, Renuart suffered a drop in support by more than half, down from the 59% favorable numbers in December.
In St. John’s County, which represents about half of the SD 6 votes, Hutson also ranks slightly higher in popularity, with a 45% favorable rating and only 8% unfavorable. That compares to Renuart, who receives 40% positive and 19% negative.
As of Wednesday, 5,730 of 19,855 Republican absentee ballots have been returned, with Early Voting beginning on Saturday.
Hutson currently represents House District 24, which includes Flagler County and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties. Renuart is from House District 17, which covers northern St. Johns County, from St. Augustine to Palm Valley. District 6 covers St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties and parts of Volusia County.
