New Poll Confirms McCollum Leads Fla. Race

Money may not be able to buy Rick Scott the governorship of Florida after all.

On Thursday, a Mason-Dixon poll showed McCollum now leading Scott by 4 percentage points -- despite the fact Scott has spent over $40 million in attack ads.

Bill McCollum’s campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Florida received more good news on Friday with the release of a new poll showing him leading rival Rick Scott -- once again by 4 percentage points.

The poll commissioned by the Florida Medical Association (FMA) and conducted by the Tarrance Group found Florida Attorney General McCollum with 44 percent of the vote and businessman Rick Scott with 40 percent, with 16 percent undecided.

The Tarrance Group poll suggests McMollum has gain significant momentum in the final stretch of the campaign. The Mason-Dixon poll showed that McCollum has overcome a 6-point deficit.

In the FMA poll that ended Thursday, McCollum has a 14-percentage-point lead over Scott among seniors, and a 6-point lead among those Republicans who are “extremely likely” to vote in the Aug. 24 primary.

The McCollum campaign has gained new momentum this week with McCollum releasing details of his new law aimed at curbing illegal immigration in Florida, and new revelations about Scott’s questionable business dealings.

McCollum on Wednesday said his immigration measure goes “one step further” than the bill signed into law in Arizona. It would mandate that police officers, when stopping, detaining or arresting someone, check to see if that person is in the country legally.

Also on Wednesday, Scott came under a cloud when news broke that he had refused to release a deposition he gave in regard to a lawsuit alleging fraudulent practices at a healthcare company he now heads, Solantic Urgent Care.

“Scott’s negatives have been steadily growing over the past several weeks, and McCollum now has better image ratings among Republican primary voters than Scott does,” the Tarrance Group said in a statement.

“Scott’s ability to compete for the remaining undecided vote has grown extremely difficult, as his negatives are now higher than his positive ratings among those Republicans who are undecided on the primary ballot test.”