Poll: Florida Governor's Race Still Deadlocked

SAINT LEO, Fla., Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida governor's election between former Gov. Charlie Crist and incumbent Gov. Rick Scott is statistically tied, according to a new poll from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

With less than two weeks before the election, Crist leads, 43-40 percent, which falls within the poll's margin of error and represents a dead heat. Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie is pulling 8 percent, and 9 percent of likely voters say they are undecided.

With speculation about what effect Libertarian Wyllie may have on the final outcome, Saint Leo University also asked voters to imagine Wyllie were not on the ballot. Given a choice of voting for only Scott or Crist, the two candidates deadlocked at 45 percent each, with 10 percent undecided.

"It appears as though Charlie Crist's attacks against Rick Scott are working, as the race has swung away from the incumbent in the last few months," said Frank Orlando, instructor of political science at Saint Leo University. According to Orlando, Crist's lead is still tenuous.

Republican candidates lead in down ballot races. Incumbent Attorney General Pam Bondi (47 percent) leads challengers Democrat George Sheldon (39 percent) and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer (6 percent), with 8 percent undecided.

Republican Adam Putnam holds a 51-35 percent lead over Democrat Thad Hamilton in the election for Commissioner of Agriculture, with 14 percent undecided. For Florida Chief Financial Officer, Republican Jeff Atwater leads Democrat Will Rankin, 50-35 percent, with 15 percent undecided.

When asked which candidates for the state legislature voters preferred, 42 percent said they plan to vote for Republican candidates while 41 percent plan to vote for Democratic candidates. "A tied generic ballot suggests we won't see a big swing in the partisan composition of the state legislature after the election," remarked Orlando. "Many legislative districts aren't drawn to be competitive, and since the Republicans controlled the last round of redistricting, I would expect them to have an advantage."

To view the Saint Leo University Polling Institute's survey results about Florida's gubernatorial race and politics, including methodology, visit the polling institute's website, http://polls.saintleo.edu. You can also follow the institute on Twitter @saintleopolls. Saint Leo's main website is www.saintleo.edu 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/poll-florida-governors-race-still-deadlocked-708536219.html

SOURCE Saint Leo University Polling Institute

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http://www.saintleo.edu

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