A.G. Gancarski
Polls are snapshots in time, goes one of the oldest clichés in politics. And at this point, we have more than one snapshot of a potential photo finish in the Senate race.
Just 3 points separate incumbent Republican Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, per a Public Policy Polling survey of the state conducted Aug. 21-22 for the Clean and Prosperous Energy PAC.
When Libertarian Feena Bonoan is added to the mix, getting 2% of the vote, Scott leads 46% to 43%, with a pivotal 10% undecided.
Without the spoiler included, Scott leads 48% to 45%, with 7% undecided.
Should Mucarsel-Powell get the bulk of undecided voters, she may have what it takes to overpower the wealthiest man in the Senate, who has proven to be a prodigious self-funder in campaigns in 2010 and 2018, the first times he ran for Governor and Senate, respectively.
However, there are caveats. Not least among them is that Mucarsel-Powell is still a relatively unknown quantity for half the voters. So even though she is above water in terms of favorability, with 29% approval and 20% disapproval, she is still undefined.
Voters also say they aren’t seeing her ads, which were on television leading up to the uncompetitive Democratic Primary last week.
Only 18% say they have spotted her commercials, with 71% saying no and 12% unsure.
Scott is skeptical about polling, as he told Florida Politics earlier this month.
“We’re going to have a big win. If you look at all my races, the polls have generally been way off,” Scott said in Jacksonville. “In all three of my races, polls said I was going to lose … because they’re not accurate.”
Previous polling of a potential race between Mucarsel-Powell and Scott has been all over the place.
The latest survey from Florida Atlantic University’s PolCom Lab shows Scott with a marginal 47% to 43% lead over his Democratic opponent.
Polling from the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) shows Scott ahead of Mucarsel-Powell by 10 points (52-42%) with 7% of voters undecided.
Other Florida Atlantic University polls showed a 16-point race and a 2-point difference, and a Florida Chamber of Commerce poll showed a 15-point gap earlier this Summer.
3 comments
Yrral
August 27, 2024 at 10:49 am
Harris is doing the right thing about not giving interviews,when you got White reporters doing the White thing , instead of the right thing by not questioning Trump about his past Rape, Racism and Fraud,after the election their should be nothing stopping Black people and other minority and people of different sexual identity from extracting legal retribution against those who are hellbent on transgressing on Liberty Equality and Justice for All
Ocean Joe
August 27, 2024 at 11:01 am
Nobody likes him.
But he’ll win because Republicans would rather vote for a thief than a liberal. Florida has stolen Mississippi’s identity.
Michael S
August 27, 2024 at 11:56 am
Powell might have a better chance depending on the Cuban vote this time. It was the Miami Dade Cubans that gave Florida to Trump both prior times Trump ran. If however, it dawns on the Cubans they would not be living in the U.S. if Trump was President when they wanted asylum, then possibly they will vote D. Unless, of course, they otherwise can get Trump to comprehend that ‘asylum’ in this context means ‘escaping political persecution’ rather than ‘being released from mental health confinement’.