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Florida Senate: Rubio (R) Grows His Lead Over Crist (I), Meek (D)

Republican Marco Rubio now enjoys a 20-point advantage over Independent candidate Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race in Florida, with Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek still running third.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Sunshine State finds Rubio picking up 50% of the vote, while Crist, Florida's current GOP governor, receives 30% support.  Meek picks up 16% support, his worst showing since early July.  One percent (1%) prefers some other candidate, and another three percent (3%) are still undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This race remains Solid Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Earlier last week, Rubio held a 43% to 32% lead over Crist, with Meek earning 20% support.

Since the end of August, Rubio has earned 40% or more of the vote, while Crist's support has ranged from 25% to 32%.  Meek in that same period has won 19% to 23% support. News reports this week indicate that former President Bill Clinton has tried to get Meek to drop out of the race in favor of Crist, but the congressman has refused to go along.

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This statewide telephone survey of 750 Likely Voters in Florida was conducted on October 27, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The Florida governor’s race is a bit tighter as Election Day nears.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans and 47% of voters not affiliated with either political party favor Rubio, the former state House speaker.  Crist draws support from 47% of Democrats, 20% of Republicans and 29% of unaffiliated voters.  Meek is favored by just 38% of Democrats in the state and 11% of unaffiliateds.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of all Florida voters regard Rubio as a conservative.  Crist is considered a moderate by 44%, a conservative by 26% and liberal by 27%.  Sixty-one percent (61%) describe Meek as a liberal, but 22% think he's a moderate.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the state’s voters approve of the job Crist is doing as governor.  Forty-one percent (41%) disapprove. 
Forty-two percent (42%) of Florida voters rate their personal finances as good or excellent, while 19% rate them as poor.  But just 20% feel their finances are getting better these days.  Forty-five percent  (45%) say they’re getting worse.

Among voters who say their finances are getting better, 41% support Crist, 24% Rubio and 25% Meek.   Sixty-six percent (66%) of voters who feel their finances are getting worse support Rubio.

A solid majority (62%) of all voters in the state favor repeal of the new national health care law, well above support for repeal nationally.  Thirty-four percent (34%) oppose repeal.  These findings include 49% who Strongly Favor repeal and 26% who are Strongly Opposed.

Among voters in Florida who Strongly Favor repeal, 79% support Rubio.  Crist draws support from 56% of voters who Strongly Oppose repeal.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of all Florida voters hold a favorable opinion of Rubio, while 39% view him unfavorably. Those numbers include 38% who view him Very Favorably and 23% who view him Very Unfavorably.

For Crist, favorables are 51% and unfavorables 48%, including 19% Very Favorable and 22% Very Unfavorable. Forty-one percent (41%) view Meek favorably, including Very Favorable reviews from 11%.  Fifty-one percent (51%) share an unfavorable opinion of him, including 23% Very Unfavorable.