Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott leads Democrat Charlie Crist in a new poll 42 percent to 38 percent, as voters in the Sunshine State also express continued dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama's policies.
The McLaughlin & Associates poll, commissioned by the American Future Fund, found other good news for Scott:
- 53 percent of Florida voters approve of the job he has done in office,
- 44 percent view Scott favorably; Crist is viewed favorably by 39 percent.
- Florida voters say Scott is best positioned to improve the economy and create jobs by a 39 percent to 25 percent margin.
Scott's showing is, in part, tied to Sunshine State voters' opposition to Obama, who now holds a disapproval rating of 53 percent in Florida, the poll found. Half the voters surveyed say they want to keep a Republican in Tallahassee as a check on Obama. Only 41 percent of those polled support Obamacare; 53 percent oppose it.
"Voters clearly disapprove of President Obama's economy and his signature healthcare law, and Gov. Scott is holding his own in a head-to-head against the unpopular former Gov. Charlie Crist," said Nick Ryan, Founder of the American Future Fund.
"The majority of Florida voters believe Gov. Scott has done a good job, and he is well positioned to win a second term this fall," Ryan said.
The poll, conducted May 4-6, had a margin or error of plus or minus 3.4
percentage points.
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