Florida: Meek Looks Headed to Victory in Senate Race; Governor Contest Is Tight

Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek is running ahead of billionaire Jeff Greene in the race for the party's Senate nomination in Florida in two just-released polls a day before Florida's primary. Meanwhile, Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum leads former health care executive Rick Scott by a slim margin in one of the surveys of the GOP gubernatorial race, and trails him slightly in another.

The two polls come on the heels of a Mason-Dixon Research survey published over the weekend that had Meek ahead by 42 percent to 30 percent but with 25 percent still undecided, and McCollum in the lead by 46 percent to 35 percent with 15 percent undecided.

In the latest surveys, a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Aug. 21-22 had Meek ahead of Greene 39 percent to 29 percent, with 5 percent making other choices or not planning to vote, and 28 percent undecided. Thirty-five percent of voters said they might yet change their minds, with 27 percent of Meek supporters fitting that description compared to 43 percent for Greene. The margin of error is 3.6 points.

McCollum leads Scott by 39 percent to 35 percent with 4 percent preferring another choice and 22 percent undecided. Thirty-three percent of voters say they may change their minds, with 27 percent of McCollum backers in that category compared to 39 percent for Scott. The margin of error is 3.5 points.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted Aug. 21-22, differed from the Quinnipiac poll in the size of Meek's margin and McCollum's showing.

PPP has Meek ahead of Greene by 51 percent to 27 percent, with 9 percent preferring other choices and 13 percent undecided. The margin of error is 5.4 points.

But PPP puts Scott ahead of McCollum by 47 percent to 40 percent with 13 percent undecided. The margin of error is 5.6 points.

Quinnipiac's analysis: "With one in five GOP voters and more than one in four Democrats undecided, anything is possible, but the internals of the poll are consistent with McCollum and Meek being ahead. They are more favorably viewed than their opponents and fewer of their backers say they might change their minds."

PPP's analysis: "If Scott does indeed come out the winner it will be because he destroyed McCollum's reputation with conservative voters. . . . It may be a Pyrrhic victory for Meek on Tuesday night though. The 57 percent of Democratic primary voters who approve of Charlie Crist's work as governor exceeds the 50 percent who have a favorable opinion of Meek. He faces a very difficult road in the general election."

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