Rick Scott elbows Charlie Crist aside in latest poll in governor’s race

Rasmussen Reports released a poll on Friday which finds Gov. Rick Scott edging leading Democratic rival former Gov. Charlie Crist by the slimmest of margins. 

The poll of likely voters shows Scott taking 42 percent, Crist garnering 41 percent, 8 percent backing other candidates and 9 percent still undecided. A Rasmussen poll from April had Crist leading 45 percent to 39 percent for Scott.

Scott is coming to The Villages on Aug. 13. He will be presenting medals to veterans at Eisenhower Recreation Center. There will be two sessions that day, the first at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m.

There is a gender gap in Florida as 49 percent of men back Scott and 40 percent of them support Crist. Only 37 percent of women back Scott while Crist takes 42 percent of them. Voters 39 and under break Crist’s way, 41 percent to 25 percent, and he edges Scott with voters between 40 and 64, 47 percent to 41 percent. But seniors overwhelmingly break Scott’s way, with 59 percent supporting the governor and only 31 percent behind Crist. 

The poll finds both candidates have secured their respective bases. Scott gets the support of 73 percent of Republicans while only 16 percent back Crist who, before he left the party in 2010, had run for statewide office fives times as a Republican. Despite only joining the Democrats in December 2012, 72 percent of Democrats support Crist while 13 percent back Scott. Voters outside the major parties go for Scott. 40 percent to 34 percent. 

Scott is upside down in the poll, with 48 percent of those surveyed seeing him as unfavorable and 46 percent viewing him in a favorable light. But the governor’s job performance gets his nose above water, with 46 percent approving of it and 45 percent disapproving of it. 

Crist is also under water in the poll, with 46 percent seeing the former governor as favorable and 47 percent viewing him as unfavorable. 

Asked which candidate would do better on spending, voters preferred Scott, 43 percent to 34 percent. Voters also went Scott’s way on taxes, 42 percent to 39 percent. Crist did better when it comes to social issues with 44 percent thinking he will handle them better, though 40 percent say Scott will. On ethics, 39 percent said Crist is the best choice while 36 percent think Scott is preferable. 

The poll of 900 likely Florida voters was taken July 29-30 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. 

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.