Allen West

Rep. Allen West: Zimmerman Had 'No Authorization' To Shoot Trayvon Martin

David Taintor | March 23, 2012, 1:18PM

Rep. Allen West (R-FL) delivers the keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2011.

George Zimmerman, in his role as neighborhood watch of a gated suburban community in Florida, had "no authorization" to take action against 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) told TPM Friday. "This is a self-made head of a community neighborhood watch. That's where my concern is."

Read more »

Rick Scott

Unpopular Gov. Rick Scott Wants To 'Make Sure Florida Is The Model For The Country' (VIDEO)

David Taintor | September 14, 2011, 12:08PM

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on MSNBC's Morning 9/14/11

Highly unpopular Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) sat down with the folks of Morning Joe on Wednesday to discuss the Republican presidential candidates' chances in Florida as well as some of his state's own issues.

Asked how Mitt Romney and Rick Perry would do in Florida, Scott said he thinks either candidate could win in a general election. And Scott doesn't think Perry will be in much trouble for calling Social Security a "monstrous lie" and a "ponzi scheme."

Read more »

Rick Scott

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Hosts Anti-Abortion Law Celebration

David Taintor | August 1, 2011, 10:28AM

Rick Scott

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) knows how to throw a party. The conservative governor on Saturday hosted pro-life activists and Florida lawmakers at the governor's mansion to celebrate a handful of new anti-abortion laws, the Miami Herald reports.

But the laws actually went into effect about a month ago, so why host the ceremonial bill-signing event now?

Read more »

Rick Scott

Poll: Gov. Rick Scott's Unpopularity Handicapping GOP Pres Candidates In Florida

Jon Terbush | June 24, 2011, 9:06AM

President Barack Obama (D) and Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

A plurality of Florida voters say they are less inclined to support a Republican presidential candidate in 2012 because of the way their freshman GOP governor has acted since taking office, according to a PPP poll to be released Friday morning.

In the survey, 40% of registered voters said Gov. Rick Scott's actions have made them less inclined to back the GOP presidential nominee next year, versus 26% who said his actions had made it more likely they'd vote Republican in 2012. An additional 34% said Scott has had no impact on whether or not they'll support a Republican candidate.

A key finding within those results is that almost one in five (18%) of respondents who said they disapproved of President Obama's job performance said they were still shying away from supporting a Republican alternative because of their dissatisfaction with Scott. Further, 45% of all independent voters said they were less inclined to vote for the GOP nominee after seeing Scott's policies in action, versus only 18% who said Scott had made them more keen to vote against Obama next year.

Read more »

Rick Scott

Rick Scott: Send This Flattering Letter To A Newspaper Editor Near You!

David Taintor | June 20, 2011, 5:07PM

Rick Scott

Refreshing? A strong leader? Given Florida Gov. Rick Scott's (R) devastatingly low approval ratings, these may be words Floridians would have a hard time using to describe their state's chief executive. But don't worry, Florida -- Rick Scott's happy to help you out.

A new feature on the governor's website allows constituents to a sign a pre-written letter to the editor and send it to one of seven newspapers in Florida.

Read more »

Pres '12

Unpopular Freshman GOP Governors Could Help Obama's Reelection Bid

Jon Terbush | May 31, 2011, 2:02PM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

When several newly minted Republican governors began pushing through broad, unpopular legislation this year, they may have unintentionally aided President Obama's reelection odds.

Emboldened by their party's midterm election day romp, freshman GOP governors in a few crucial swing states immediately began to advance radical legislation upon taking office. But as the cost of those unpopular legislative agendas has now become clear in the form of free-falling approval ratings and incredible buyer's remorse, polls have shown that that same voter discontent could translate into a big 2012 boost for President Obama.

Read more »

Rick Scott

Poll: Rick Scott Earns His Worst Approval Rating Ever

Jon Terbush | May 25, 2011, 11:19AM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott's (R) approval rating has sunk to a new low, as nearly six in ten Florida voters now say they disapprove of their chief executive's job performance barely 5 months into his tenure, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday morning.

Scott was one of the new Republican governor's swept into office last year as anti-incumbent rage thwarted Democrats nationwide. But since his inauguration, Scott has pursued a number of unpopular proposals, capped off by a recently-passed budget he is set to sign this week that voters overwhelmingly dislike by a two to one margin.

In the poll, 57% of registered voters said they're unhappy with how Scott has handled his job as governor, a record high. At the same time, only 29% of voters said they approved of Scott's job performance, making Scott the most unpopular of 10 governors Quinnipiac has surveyed this year.

Read more »

Rick Scott

Poll: Floridians Have Strong Buyers Remorse After Electing GOP Gov. Scott

Jon Terbush | April 14, 2011, 1:07PM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Only three months removed from Governor Rick Scott's (R) inauguration, a majority of Florida voters now say the state is headed in the wrong direction and that, if they could do it all over again, they wouldn't have elected Scott in the first place, according to a new Suffolk University poll.

In the poll, 54% of voters said the state was headed in the wrong direction, compared to 30% who said it was going the right way. Further, just under half (49%) of all voters said they disapproved of Scott's job performance, versus only 28% who said they approved.

Scott's approval rating is so bad that the poll found him losing a hypothetical do-over election to Democrat Alex Sink by a ten-point margin, 41% to 31%.

Read more »

Rick Scott

Poll: Florida GOP Gov. Scott's Net Approval Rating Plummets

Jon Terbush | April 6, 2011, 12:04PM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

According to results of Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday morning, the percentage of Floridians who now approve of Gov. Rick Scott's (R) job performance has remained unchanged since two months ago. But at the same time, the percentage who disapprove of his job performance has more than doubled, putting his net approval rating deep underwater.

In the latest poll, a 48% plurality of registered voters now disapprove of how Scott has handled his job, a huge leap from February when only 22% of voters disapproved of the new Governor's job performance. Meanwhile, 35% of voters currently approve of Scott's job performance, the exact same percentage who gave Scott a thumbs up two months ago.

Read more »

2010 elections

Poll: FL. Gov. Rick Scott Would Lose Do-Over Election -- By 20 Points

Jon Terbush | March 29, 2011, 11:36AM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Another day, another poll showing a recently elected Republican governor losing a do-over election -- and this one isn't even close.

A PPP poll of registered voters released today shows that in a hypothetical re-do of last year's gubernatorial election, Florida Gov. Rock Scott (R) would lose to Democrat Alex Sink by a nearly 20-point margin, 56%-37%. Scott won a squeaker of an election last year, edging out Sink by about one point.

Read more »

Rick Scott

Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Thumbs Up To Public Worker Organizing

Brian Beutler | February 22, 2011, 4:07PM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) is now to the right of Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) on the question of allowing public sector workers to unionize.

"My belief is as long as people know what they're doing, collective bargaining is fine," Scott said in an interview with Tallahassee's WFLA FM radio station.

Read more »

Paul Kanjorski

Dem Ex-Rep. Calling For 'Civility' Once Said Florida's Gov Should Be Shot

Eric Lach | January 11, 2011, 3:26PM

Former Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA)

A Democrat now prominently calling for "civility and respect" in American political discourse may want to go back to October and heed his own advice.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Billionaire Florida Gov. Rick Scott Hires Secret Service-Style Security Detail For Inauguration

Jillian Rayfield | January 6, 2011, 8:36AM

Rick Scott

Newly sworn in Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) apparently has a lot of enemies in Tallahassee -- or at least that's the impression one might get from his unprecedented security detail at his inauguration earlier this week.

According to Steve Bousquet of the St. Petersburg Times, Scott was tailed by a group of men in suits with earpieces, had a six-car motorcade with a local police escort, and a two-helicopter surveillance team circling overhead.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Republican Rick Scott Wins Close FL-GOV Race

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2010, 10:36AM

Rick Scott

In the end money did not buy Rick Scott love. But it did buy him the Florida governor's mansion. After an extremely nasty campaign fueled by his own considerable wealth, Scott has felled yet another establishment politician. He declared victory this morning, and Democrat Alex Sink is on TV conceding right now.

With 6,841 of 6,881 precincts reporting, Scott leads 48.8%-47.8%.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Polls Show Florida Governors Race Is One Of The Closest In The Country

Brian Beutler | November 1, 2010, 11:06AM

Alex Sink and Rick Scott.

A Quinnipiac poll released today finds the race for Florida Governor locked up. The survey finds Democrat Alex Sink with a 44-43 lead over Republican Rick Scott.

That's an improvement for Scott over Quinnipiac's last poll, which had Sink up 45-41. But all polls are incredibly tight. Scott appears to have faltered slightly in the last month, and has lost what was already a narrow lead.

Read more »

FL-GOV

New Polls Suggest Different Leaders In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 28, 2010, 1:56PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

Polling on the Florida gubernatorial race has been anything but consistent over the last few months. Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott have each found themselves atop a handful of surveys, while neither has been able to maintain an outright advantage for an extended period of time. Today, two new polls on the race have been released, echoing this trend-- a Quinnipiac Poll finds Sink leading Scott 45%-41%, while a Rasmussen survey has the Republican ahead 48%-45%.

When Quinnipiac looked at this on October 10, Scott was found on top of the contest 45%-44%. Rasmussen's last look on October 18 gave him a more significant six-point advantage, 50%-44%.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Dem Alex Sink Caught Cheating In FL-GOV Debate (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 26, 2010, 12:24PM

Chief Financial Officer of Florida Alex Sink

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Florida, Alex Sink, is facing some embarrassing questions today after a camera caught her breaking the rules in last night's televised debate with Republican Rick Scott. Sink, Florida's Chief Financial Officer, fired a campaign staffer after he tried to slip her a note during a commercial break in the debate, which was a direct violation of pre-arranged rules.

But the moment wasn't the only time in the debate that Sink appeared to rely on outside help -- and it wasn't Sink's most embarrassing fail of the debate, either. That came earlier, when Sink and Scott bombed a question on the minimum wage in spectacularly humiliating fashion.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Poll: Dem Sink And GOPer Scott Tied In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 22, 2010, 10:31AM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

A new poll of the Florida gubernatorial race, conducted by right-leaning pollster Susquehanna Polling and Research, finds Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott deadlocked, 45%-45%.

When Susquehanna looked at the race last week, Sink was seen leading Scott 48%-45%. A CNN/Time poll from October 19 saw the Republican on top 49%-46% and an October 18 Rasmussen survey saw him leading by six points.

The TPM Poll Average has Scott ahead 46.0%-44.3%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±2.52 percentage points.

For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here

FL-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Scott Leads By 6 In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 20, 2010, 12:06PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

Both candidates in the Florida gubernatorial race have earned their fair share of polling leads over the last few months. Most recently, Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink was found on top of three consecutive surveys conducted last week. Today, however, a newly released Rasmussen poll suggests a different story -- Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott is found leading the contest 50%-44%.

When Rasmussen last took a look at this race on October 7, Scott led by a slimmer 50%-47% margin. The TPM Poll Average has the Republican ahead 45.5%-44.0%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here

FL-GOV

PPP Poll: Dem Sink Leads GOPer Scott By 5 In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 13, 2010, 3:32PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

A new PPP (D) survey finds Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink leading Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott 46%-41% in Florida's gubernatorial race.

PPP hasn't polled the contest since late August, when a hypothetical matchup between Sink, Scott, and former independent candidate Bud Chiles yielded a 41%-34%-8% result favoring the Democrat. More recent polling, however, has seen Scott atop the polls more often than not. Just when it looked like the Republican was in control last week, an October 6 Mason-Dixon poll found Sink leading by four points. Then, an October 10 Quinnipiac poll showed Scott's lead at one, compared to the pollster's previous September 28 poll which had the Republican up six.

The TPM Poll Average still has Scott ahead 45.2%-43.3%, but this lead has narrowed. The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.6 percentage points.

For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here

FL-GOV

Mason-Dixon Poll: Dem Sink Up 4 In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 8, 2010, 2:01PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

She may be trailing in many recent polls, but Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink still leads the Florida gubernatorial race in a newly released Mason-Dixon survey. The latest poll finds Sink leading Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott 44%-40%.

When Mason-Dixon looked at this race on September 22, the Democrat was leading by seven points, 47%-40%. An October 3 Sunshine State News poll had Scott on top of the contest by two points, 44%-42%. Just prior to that, Republican-leaning pollster Public Opinion Strategies had him up 46%-42% and a Rasmussen survey showed a 46%-41% advantage for the Republican nominee.

The TPM Poll Average finds Scott ahead 45.1%-42.3%. The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

FL-GOV

Polls: Rick Scott Regains Lead In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | October 6, 2010, 3:20PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

Through months of polling, Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott have each found themselves atop a number of surveys on the Florida gubernatorial race. From May to early-August, Scott led all but one polled matchup with Sink. Then, the month-long span between an August 11 Mason-Dixon poll and a September 11 Fox News poll saw the Democrat trail in only a single survey. Now, as we near the actual election, Scott finds himself back in control of the polls.

Most recently, an October 3 Sunshine State News poll had the Republican on top of the contest by two points, 44%-42%. Just prior to that, Republican-leaning pollster Public Opinion Strategies had him leading 46%-42% and a Rasmussen survey produced a five-point lead for the controversial nominee.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: Rick Scott Leads By Five Points In FL-GOV

Eric Kleefeld | October 1, 2010, 1:02PM

Rick Scott

The new Rasmussen poll of the Florida gubernatorial race gives Republican former health care executive Rick Scott the lead over Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

The numbers: Scott 46%, Sink 41%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous Rasmussen poll from last week, Scott led by 50%-44%.

This result is similar to a Quinnipiac poll released earlier today, which put Scott ahead by 49%-43%. The TPM Poll Average gives Scott a lead of 46.8%-43.2%.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Quinnipiac Poll: Rick Scott Leads Alex Sink By Six Points In FL-GOV

Eric Kleefeld | October 1, 2010, 10:37AM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

The new Quinnipiac poll of the Florida gubernatorial race shows Republican nominee Rick Scott taking the lead over Democrat Alex Sink. This appears to be thanks to two main factors: Rick Scott's massive self-financed advertising -- and President Obama's unpopularity.

The numbers: Scott 49%, Sink 43%. The survey of likely voters has a ±2.9% margin of error. In the previous Quinnipiac poll from mid-August, shortly before the Republican primary, Sink had 33%, Scott 29%, plus 12% for independent Bud Chiles -- who later dropped out and endorsed Sink.

The TPM Poll Average gives Scott a lead of 46.8%-44.3%.

Read more »

FL-GOV

CNN/Time Poll: Rick Scott Leads By Two In FL-GOV

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 29, 2010, 6:03PM

Rick Scott

The gubernatorial race in Florida is turning into a real nail-biter. According to a new poll from CNN/Time out today, controversial GOP nominee Rick Scott now leads Democratic nominee Alex Sink by two points, which is within the poll's margin of error. The poll shows Scott ahead 47-45 among likely voters (Sink leads by one among registered voters.)

In the last CNN/Time poll of the race, taken in early September, Sink led by seven. Since then, however, momentum has appeared to shift to Scott, who spent millions of his own sizable fortune securing the nomination over the protests of just about every member of the state Republican establishment. It appears Scott is now applying the skills he learned convincing Republican voters to back him over his moderate opponent in the primary to the general election with some success.

The TPM Poll Average shows Scott now leading the race by a razor-thin margin of 45.7-44.9.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Scott Leads Dem Sink By 6 In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | September 24, 2010, 3:44PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

A day after a Quinnipiac poll found state Chief Financial Officer and Democratic nominee Alex Sink on top of Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott 47%-40% in the Florida gubernatorial race, a new Rasmussen poll shows the Republican up by six points, 50%-44%.

When Rasmussen last looked at this race on September 1, Sink had a 48%-47% edge. A September 12 Reuters/Ipsos poll gave the Republican a 47%-45% advantage, while a September 11 Fox News poll had Sink ahead by eight, 49%-41%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

The TPM Poll Average for the contest has Sink edging out Scott, 45.5%-44.4%. For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here.

FL-GOV

Mason-Dixon Poll: Dem Sink Up 7 In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | September 23, 2010, 2:10PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

A newly released Mason-Dixon poll of the Florida gubernatorial race finds state Chief Financial Officer and Democratic nominee Alex Sink on top of Republican former hospital executive Rick Scott 47%-40%.

Mason-Dixon last took a look at this race on August 11 (before the Florida primaries) and saw Sink leading Scott 40%-24%, with Independent Bud Chiles, who has since dropped out of the race, pulling in 17%. Last week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll saw Scott up two points on Sink, 47%-45%, while a Fox News poll had Sink ahead by eight, 49%-41%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

The TPM Poll Average for the contest has Sink leading Scott, 46.6%-40.3%. For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here.

FL-GOV

Poll: Rick Scott Leads By Two In FL-GOV Race

Marc Kilstein | September 15, 2010, 4:13PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

For the first time since Democratic-leaning independent candidate Bud Chiles dropped out of Florida's gubernatorial race, Republican and former hospital executive Rick Scott finds himself atop a general election poll. A Reuters/Ipsos poll out today finds Scott leading state Chief Financial Officer and Democratic nominee Alex Sink, 47%-45%.

There is no previous Reuters/Ipsos poll of the two-way race for direct comparison.

While the results fall within the poll's ±4.6% margin of error, the findings nonetheless mark a shift in polling results. Last week, Republican-leaning polling firm Susquehanna released a poll that suggested Scott was gaining ground on the Democratic nominee. That poll had Scott behind 44%-42%. A CNN/Time poll released earlier in the week had produced a more comfortable seven-point lead for Sink. Polling conducted prior to Chiles' dropout showed the Democratic nominee maintaining a healthy lead in the gubernatorial fight.

The TPM Poll Average for the contest still has Sink on top of Scott, 46.5%-43.0%. For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here.

FL-GOV

Poll: Sink And Scott Locked In Close FL-GOV Race

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 10, 2010, 10:58AM

Rick Scott

What a difference a poll makes. A new survey of likely voters in Florida shows wealthy former hospital executive Rick Scott, the state's Republican gubernatorial nominee, running very close to Democratic nominee and state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. The poll, conducted by Republican-leaning firm Susquehanna for the news site Sunshine State News, shows Sink ahead 44-42. There is no past poll for direct comparison.

A CNN/Time poll of registered voters in Florida released Tuesday showed Sink with a comfortable seven-point lead. The new Susquehanna numbers suggest that despite the state and national GOP's trepidations when it comes to Scott, the self-funding tea party-backed millionaire has what it takes to beat Sink.

Past polls of the race -- most of which included independent-but-Democratic-leaning candidate Bud Chiles, who dropped out of the race recently and endorsed Sink -- showed the Democratic nominee with a healthy lead over Scott in the general election fight. If the new Susquehanna numbers are to be believed, that narrative may be changing.

FL-GOV

CNN/Time Poll: FL-GOV Voters Not Buying Rick Scott

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 8, 2010, 6:43PM

Rick Scott

The man who bought a Republican gubernatorial nomination in Florida, Rick Scott, is having a tough time selling himself to general election voters. A new poll from CNN/Time shows Democratic nominee Alex Sink leading Scott 49-42, the latest in a series of polls showing Scott well behind the Democrat.

Republicans feared Scott -- he of ultra-conservative views and skeletons in the closet galore -- would have a hard time appealing to Florida's swingy and moderate general electorate. Early polls of the general election fight (most taken before the independent-but-Democratic-leaning Bud Chiles dropped out of the race, a move generally seen to benefit Sink) have shown the fears about Scott to be well-founded.

The CNN/Time survey of 899 registered voters in Florida was conducted Sept. 2-7. The margin of error is 3.5%.

FL-GOV

Alex Sink Ad: 'Rick Scott Just Talks About Obama' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | September 7, 2010, 5:28PM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee in the Florida Senate race, has a new ad responding to Republican nominee Rick Scott's attack ad that linked her to President Obama. And in a telling sign of the political situation nowadays, Sink does not actually defend or endorse Obama -- she simply says that the subject is irrelevant to the issues in this campaign.

"Unfortunately, Rick Scott seems to think running for governor is about President Obama. That's a big difference between us," Sinks says. "I'm Alex Sink. While Rick Scott's focused on Obama, I'm focused on creating jobs, and giving tax relief to Florida's small businesses. Rick Scott just talks about Obama, while I have a plan to make Florida's schools stronger. He can just keep attacking Obama. But you and I know, we need a governor who attacks Florida's challenges."

A recent Rasmussen poll gave Sink a narrow edge of 48%-47%, including leaners.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Rick Scott Goes After Sink And Obama In New Ad (VIDEO)

Ben Frumin | September 3, 2010, 11:02AM

Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott is up with a new ad linking Democrat Alex Sink to President Obama, just as the Republican Governors Association is reportedly transferring $2 million to the Florida Republican Party to help Scott attack his Dem opponent.

The new ad shows footage of Obama urging Florida voters to back Sink, before knocking "liberal Alex Sink" for supporting the president's "government takeover of health care" and "trillion dollar stimulus bill."

Scott ran an extremely negative (and successful) campaign against Republican establishment choice Bill McCollum in the primary, and clearly isn't pulling any punches heading into the general election.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: Sink Leads 48-47 In Florida Gov Race

Eric Kleefeld | September 2, 2010, 10:08AM

Florida gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R)

The new Rasmussen poll of the Florida gubernatorial race -- a snap poll taken right after independent candidate Bud Chiles dropped out and endorsed Democratic nominee Alex Sink yesterday -- shows that the two-way race is as tight as can be.

The initial numbers give Republican nominee Rick Scott a lead of 45%-44%. After leaners were pushed, it's Sink who has a one-point edge of 48%-47%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. This is the first poll of a two-way general election race since June.

The survey would seem to suggest that Chiles's withdrawal has provided a small boost to Sink. In the previous survey from last week, Scott led Sink and Chiles by 41%-36%-8% on initial preferences. After undecided voters were pushed, as well as Chiles voters -- on the rationale that supporters of minor candidates often break away to a major candidate on election day -- Scott led by 45%-42%-4%. So for now at least, Sink has either narrowed the gap or perhaps even taken a small lead thanks to Chiles quitting the race.

FL-GOV

Will Indy Chiles Dropping Out Help Dem In FL-GOV Race?

Eric Kleefeld | September 2, 2010, 9:08AM

Alex Sink and Bud Chiles (inset).

So what should we make of the withdrawal of independent candidate Bud Chiles from the Florida gubernatorial race, and his endorsement of Democratic nominee Alex Sink? At first glance, it would seem that this is a pure plus for Dems -- but a closer look shows that it's not so totally cut and dry.

Chiles, a son of the late Dem Gov. Lawton Chiles, had been promoting children's issues and clean energy in his bid -- the sort of stuff that would make you think he would draw Dem voters. And he was having at least some success there. An August 19 Quinnipiac poll of a three-way race between Sink, Republican Rick Scott and Chiles showed the independent taking 13% of the Dem vote -- compared to 7% of the Republican vote.

Chiles said last week that he thought the upset win in the Republican primary by right-wing former health care executive Rick Scott would help his own campaign. But he also made it clear which candidate he would prefer if he couldn't get traction himself: "I'll say this till the end: I'm not in this race to create a situation where Rick Scott becomes governor."

The TPM Poll Average of the three-way race gives Sink the lead with 40.9%, followed by Scott at 36.7%, and Chiles with only 7.7%.

Read more »

FL-GOV

Indy Candidate Chiles Drops Out Of FL-GOV Race -- And Endorses Dem

Eric Kleefeld | September 1, 2010, 4:40PM

Lawton "Bud" Chiles

Bud Chiles, the independent candidate for governor of Florida and a son of the late Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles, has officially announced that he is dropping out of the race -- and endorsing the Democratic nominee, state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

"I need to be able to look people in the face and really believe in my heart that this was a campaign I could win and really be viable," Chiles told the St. Petersburg Times. "I just got to the point where it was difficult for me to do that." Chiles also said that he met with Sink, and came away "feeling a whole lot better" about her stances on topics such as children's issues and small businesses. "It seemed to me like that there was a lot more agreement than I might have thought."

Chiles said last week that he thought the upset win in the Republican primary by right-wing former health care executive Rick Scott would help his own campaign. However, he also said at the same time that he did not want to be a spoiler who would help elect Scott, already making it clear which candidate he would prefer.

The TPM Poll Average of the (now outdated) three-way race gives Sink the lead with 40.9%, followed by Scott at 36.7%, and Chiles with only 7.7%.

FL-GOV

Report: Indy Candidate Bud Chiles To Drop Out Of FL-GOV Race

Eric Kleefeld | August 31, 2010, 5:38PM

Lawton "Bud" Chiles

The Florida gubernatorial race could be getting yet another curveball thrown into it, the St. Petersburg Times reports, with independent candidate Bud Chiles expected to drop out soon. And at first glance, it looks like this could ultimately benefit the Democrats.

Chiles, a businessman and activist for health care for children in poor areas, is a son of the late Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles, and had acknowledged that his views are closer to the Democratic side than the GOP. Interestingly, Chiles said last week that he thought the upset win in the Republican primary by right-wing former health care executive Rick Scott would help his own campaign -- but that he would not want to be a spoiler.

"I'll say this till the end: I'm not in this race to create a situation where Rick Scott becomes governor," Chiles told reporters last Thursday. "I believe every day, and I think what happened in the (Republican) primary is a very strong indication that I have a very viable candidacy. As long as my candidacy is viable, then, if I'm sending the message that Floridians want to hear, I'm going to keep doing that. And if, at some point, I feel that it's not viable then we can have another discussion about it."

Read more »

FL-GOV

McCollum Refusing To Endorse Scott In FL-GOV Race

Eric Kleefeld | August 27, 2010, 10:22AM

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R)

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who lost the Republican primary for governor on Tuesday in a huge upset to, is still refusing to endorse the man who defeated him for the nomination in a very bitter primary, the self-financing former health care executive Rick Scott.

As the Miami Herald reports, McCollum said he called Scott to "congratulate him and wish him well." But he's not making an endorsement as of now. "I still have serious questions about issues of his character, his integrity, his honestly -- things that go back to Columbia/HCA," said McCollum, referring to Scott's business that paid a record $1.7 billion fine after being investigated for Medicare fraud. "As other voters will do, I will judge him throughout this campaign."

Scott campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Baker was not impressed, and referred back to when McCollum lost the 2004 Senate primary, and took two weeks to endorse Mel Martinez: "It is unfortunate for Bill McCollum that he has chosen to be a sore loser just as he was following his defeat to Sen. Martinez in 2004."

The TPM Poll Average has Democratic nominee Alex Sink leading Scott by 38.8%-30.5%, plus 11.0% for independent Bud Chiles.

FL-GOV

Rick Scott: I Don't Support Changing Birthright Citizenship (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 26, 2010, 1:14PM

Rick Scott

Rick Scott, the former health care executive who won Tuesday's primary to become the Republican nominee for governor of Florida, could be inching his way to the center after running his right-wing insurgent campaign: He does not support amending the Constitution or otherwise working to get rid of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.

Scott, who made his support for Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration a strong point of his ads, was asked about birthright citizenship in an interview last night with John King on CNN.

"I don't believe we ought to be changing the law. I think we ought to leave the law exactly the way it is, the 14th Amendment," said Scott. When asked again by King for confirmation, Scott made it clear that he believes in birthright citizenship for all: "That is a right. If you're born in our country, you're a citizen of our country."

Read more »

FL-GOV

Florida GOP In Disarray After Nasty, Divisive Gov Primary

Eric Kleefeld | August 26, 2010, 8:52AM

Rick Scott

The Florida GOP is facing some serious problems in the wake of former health care executive Rick Scott's upset victory in Tuesday night's gubernatorial primary. As it stands now, the party and its voters face division, bad poll numbers, financial troubles and scandal -- and Scott starts the general election cycle trailing Democratic nominee Alex Sink.

Scott spent $50 million on the race to take down the party establishment's choice, state Attorney General Bill McCollum -- much of it on attack ads against McCollum. And so far, McCollum is not endorsing Scott. His campaign said that McCollum's endorsing Senate nominee Marco Rubio and other GOP candidates, but isn't mentioning Scott.

In fact, McCollum's written concession statement didn't even name Scott -- McCollum only acknowledged his own defeat, and thanked everyone who supported his campaign. "This race was one for the ages. No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida," McCollum wrote. "While I was disappointed with the negative tone of the race, I couldn't be more proud of our campaign and our supporters for fighting back against false and misleading advertising when we were down by double-digits."

Read more »

FL-GOV

AP: Billionaire Rick Scott Beats Bill McCollum In Florida GOP Gov Primary

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 24, 2010, 10:53PM

Governor Rick Scott (R-FL)

Only in America: $50 million dollars of his personal fortune later, Rick Scott is the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Florida, the AP projects. Though Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum spoke moments ago and did not concede, with 90% of precincts reporting, Scott leads McCollum 47-43, and the AP and CNN have called the race.

This is how he did it. Starting as virtually a complete unknown, Scott blitzed Florida with TV ads ripping McCollum as an establishment sell-out. McCollum, caught off-guard and underfunded, tried desperately to battle back from the onslaught, emptying his campaign coffers and calling in public support from establishment leaders.

The mainstream Republican party had a reason to fear Scott. He carries with him the baggage of the $1.7 billion in federal fines leveled against his company, Columbia HCA, for Medicare fraud. Plus he's extremely conservative, which could be a tough sell in a general election fight.

But in the end, all the establishment's horses and all of its men couldn't put McCollum together again. His campaign -- never all that exciting in the best of circumstances -- simply couldn't raise the support needed to push McCollum past Scott's big money and conservative message.

Read more »