Republican Gov. Rick Scott and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson remain neck and neck in their Florida U.S. Senate race with less than a week to go until the Nov. 6 general election.
A CBS News/YouGov poll shows the two Sunshine State politicians locked in a tie with 46 percent of voters in favor of each. Polls by New York Times/Sienna College, Gravis Marketing, Strategic Research Associates and Quinnipiac University all show Nelson with a small lead, while similar surveys from StPetePolls.org and Florida Atlantic University College of Business give a slight edge to Scott. That pretty much means the Senate race is in a dead heat, with the unknown factor being reports of Republican voters outpacing their Democratic counterparts in early voting.
Neither Scott nor Nelson are strangers to voters in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. As governor, Scott has made multiple appearances in the community and has touted The Villages’ plan to continue building south of State Road 44 for job creation and boosting the state’s economy. And he made a campaign stop here in September as part of his “Make Washington Work Bus Tour.”
Scott was significantly late for his Villages appearances, but once he took the microphone at the Eisenhower Recreation Center, he wasted little time in lambasting Nelson and his record as a senator.
“I’m running against a guy who’s been there four decades,” he said of the longtime politician from Melbourne, who was first elected to the Florida Legislature in 1972. “Four decades and what’s he done for us?”
Scott, who spoke in the same room at Eisenhower Recreation Center where he’s handed out medals to area veterans in the past, said Nelson is an example of what the Democratic Party has become – big-government socialism.
“It doesn’t work. It’s never worked,” he said. “You know what they say, ‘Socialism is fair.’ The only thing fair about it is we all do badly.”
Scott said Nelson played a role in cutting $716 billion out of Medicare and hasn’t done anything to secure the country’s borders or fix immigration issues. And he added that Nelson has introduced hundreds of bills with very few of them passing.
“You can’t remember any of them,” he said. “He’s never done anything for us.”
Scott also told the enthusiastic crowd of Villagers that he believes victory is imminent.
“This is ours to lose,” he said. “We’ve got the right message. We’re working our tails off. We’ve already knocked on over 1.5 million doors and I think we’re making over 100,000 phone calls a week. That’s how you win the race.”
Scott said he also expects to see his fellow Republicans fare well in other statewide races.
“There’s no reason we don’t win all of these,” he said. “The other side is big government and socialism. Our side is opportunity for every American.”
Nelson made his own campaign stop in the local area in July when he spoke to a packed-house crowd at the Wildwood Community Center.
“I knew The Villages would turn Democrat,” he said with a huge smile to a rousing round of applause.
Throughout his nearly hour-long chat, Nelson, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2000, hammered at Scott, taking him to task over Social Security and saying in 2011 he made a statement that hasn’t been forgotten.
“He said, ‘I want everyone to have a 401k.’ That’s privatization,” Nelson said. “So why are so many our fellow senior citizens supporting the Republicans that are trying to do away with Social Security and Medicare?”
Nelson made it clear that he sees health care as a right.
“Who in the world wants someone to be in pain and suffering from a disease because they can’t afford health care?” he asked. “None of us. We’re passionate people as Americans.”
Nelson also drew praise from the audience for standing up to the National Rifle Association. He said Americans shouldn’t fear having guns taken away because they are protected by the Second Amendment.
“I grew up on a ranch. I always had guns and I’ve always hunted all my life,” he said. “But an AR-15 or an AK-47 is not for hunting. It’s for killing.”
The longtime senator then made a bold prediction to a round of applause and a standing ovation.
“I have a feeling that on Nov. 6, not only with regard to my race but also the governor’s race, we’re going to be singing ‘Happy Days Are Here Again,’” he said to loud applause. “So just keep the faith and be patient. You may be surprised – even in The Villages.”