The new Quinnipiac poll in Florida shows that former healthcare executive Rick Scott’s right-wing campaign for governor is having a serious impact — he now leads the establishment GOP candidate state Attorney General Bill McCollum, in the Republican primary.
The numbers: Scott 44%, McCollum 31%. The survey of likely GOP primary voters has a ±3.4% margin of error. At the same time, 59% of primary votes who expressed a choice also said that their minds could potentially change, with that number spread evenly across both candidates’ supporters.
Scott has been spending heavily on the race, focusing on illegal immigration and opposition to President Obama’s health care reform law. From the pollster’s analysis: “In addition to being a testament to the power of television, Scott’s ability to take the lead so quickly is also a reflection on McCollum’s lack of strong support within his own party despite his two decades in Florida politics.”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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