Raleigh, N.C. – PPP’s newest Florida poll continues to find a tight race for Governor, with Charlie Crist holding a slight advantage over Rick Scott. Crist is at 42% to 39% for Scott, and 8% for Libertarian Adrian Wyllie. This election is shaping up as a choice between two candidates voters have decided they don’t care for. Only 40% of voters approve of the job Scott is doing to 49% who disapprove. But they don’t like Crist either- 40% of voters rate him favorably with 46% holding a negative opinion. The dissatisfaction with both major candidates probably helps to explain Wyllie’s 8% standing but since he is drawing pretty equally from both Scott and Crist he’s not having a major effect on the race in the way some Libertarians are in other states.
“PPP’s conducted 4 Florida polls this year and Rick Scott and Charlie Crist have been within the margin of error on 3 of them,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “This one is definitely headed down to the wire just like the razor thin contest Scott was first elected in.”
Republicans have decent sized leads in Florida’s down ballot races, although they’re not likely to receive the same sorts of overwhelming margins they enjoyed in 2010. Adam Putnam leads Thad Hamilton 42/37 for Commissioner of Agriculture, Pam Bondi is up 43/35 on George Sheldon for Attorney General with Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer at 6%, and Jeff Atwater is up 46/34 on Will Rankin for Chief Financial Officer.
Florida’s medical marijuana amendment is still receiving more than the 60% it needs to become law, but opposition to it has risen in recent months. 61% of voters say they support it to 33% who are opposed. That’s down from a 66/25 spread in favor of passage in June and a 65/23 spread in favor in January.
Hillary Clinton leads the entire GOP field for President in Florida, although a match up with Jeb Bush would be very close with Clinton holding only a 46/44 advantage. She leads by at least 7 points over the rest of the GOP field- it’s 49/42 over Marco Rubio, 46/38 over Chris Christie, 48/40 over Rand Paul, 49/40 over Mike Huckabee, and 51/36 over Ted Cruz.
PPP surveyed 818 likely voters from September 4th to 7th. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.4%. 80% of interviews for the poll were conducted over the phone with 20% interviewed over the internet to reach respondents who don’t have landline telephones.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 39%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 54%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor
Rick Scott’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .40%
Disapprove…………. .49%
Not sure …………….. .10%
Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Charlie Crist?
Favorable…………… .40%
Unfavorable ……….. .46%
Not sure …………….. .14%
Q4 The candidates for Governor this fall are
Republican Rick Scott, Democrat Charlie Crist,
and Libertarian Adrian Wyllie. If the election
was today, who would you vote for?
Rick Scott……………………………………………….. 39%
Charlie Crist ……………………………………………. 42%
Adrian Wyllie…………………………………………… 8%
Undecided………………………………………………. 11%
Q5 Horse race, with Wyllie supporters asked if
they’d vote Scott or Crist
Rick Scott……………………………………………….. 41%
Charlie Crist ……………………………………………. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%
Q6 The candidates for Attorney General are
Republican Pam Bondi, Democrat George
Sheldon, and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer. If the
election was today, who would you vote for?
Pam Bondi ……………………………………………… 43%
George Sheldon………………………………………. 35%
Bill Wohlsifer …………………………………………… 6%
Undecided………………………………………………. 17%
Q7 The candidates for Chief Financial Officer are
Republican Jeff Atwater and Democrat Will
Rankin. If the election was today, who would
you vote for?
Jeff Atwater…………………………………………….. 46%
Will Rankin……………………………………………… 34%
Undecided………………………………………………. 20%
Q8 The candidates for Commissioner of
Agriculture are Republican Adam Putnam and
Democrat Thad Hamilton. If the election was
today, who would you vote for?
Adam Putnam…………………………………………. 42%
Thad Hamilton ………………………………………… 37%
Undecided………………………………………………. 22%
Q9 Amendment 2 would allow the medical use of
marijuana for individuals with debilitating
diseases, as determined by a licensed Florida
physician. If the election was today, would you
vote for or against Amendment 2?
For ………………………………………………………… 61%
Against…………………………………………………… 33%
Undecided………………………………………………. 7%
Q10 Generally speaking, if there was an election for
the state legislature today, would you vote for
the Democratic or Republican candidate from
your district?
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 45%
Republican……………………………………………… 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q11 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Bill
Nelson’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 39%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 33%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 28%
Q12 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Marco Rubio’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 44%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q13 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Patrick Murphy?
Favorable…………… .12%
Unfavorable ……….. .11%
Not sure …………….. .77%
Q14 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Debbie Wasserman Schultz?
Favorable…………… .26%
Unfavorable ……….. .34%
Not sure …………….. .40%
Q15 If the candidates for Senate in 2016 were
Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Patrick
Murphy, who would you vote for?
Marco Rubio ………. .46%
Patrick Murphy……. .41%
Not sure …………….. .12%
Q16 If the candidates for Senate in 2016 were
Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, who would you vote for?
Marco Rubio ………. .47%
Debbie Wasserman
Schultz………………..43%
Not sure …………….. . 9%
Q17 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Jeb Bush?
Favorable…………… .50%
Unfavorable ……….. .35%
Not sure …………….. .16%
Q18 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Jeb
Bush, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 46%
Jeb Bush………………………………………………… 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Q19 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Chris
Christie, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 46%
Chris Christie ………………………………………….. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q20 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Ted
Cruz, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 51%
Ted Cruz ………………………………………………… 36%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q21 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike
Huckabee, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 49%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Q22 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Rand
Paul, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 48%
Rand Paul ………………………………………………. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q23 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican
Marco Rubio, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 49%
Marco Rubio …………………………………………… 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q24 Do you think Jeb Bush should run for President
in 2016, or not?
Think he should ….. .31%
Think he should not .53%
Not sure …………….. .16%
Q25 Do you think Marco Rubio should run for
President in 2016, or not?
Think he should ….. .32%
Think he should not .53%
Not sure …………….. .16%
Q26 Would you support or oppose raising the
minimum wage to $10 an hour?
Support ……………… .63%
Oppose ……………… .29%
Not sure …………….. . 7%
Q27 Florida is eligible to receive new federal
funding to pay for health care through the
Medicaid program. Do you think the Florida
state government should accept this federal
funding to expand Medicaid coverage, or not?
Think Florida should
accept the funds …..61%
Think it should not.. .27%
Not sure …………….. .13%
Q28 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of LeBron James?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 28%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 23%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 50%
Q29 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Jameis Winston?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 12%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 19%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 68%
Q30 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 48%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 46%
Someone else / Don’t remember ……………….. 6%
Q31 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 13%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 19%
Moderate………………………………………………… 31%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 23%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 13%
Q32 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%
Q33 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 40%
Republican……………………………………………… 38%
Independent / Other…………………………………. 22%
Q34 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 14%
White …………………………………………………….. 69%
African-American …………………………………….. 12%
Other……………………………………………………… 5%
Q35 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 22%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 38%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 28%
Q36 Mode
Phone ……………………………………………………. 80%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 20%
