Poll: Scott, Crist Deadlocked As Election Day Nears

October 23, 2014

Now less than two weeks before Election Day, the fierce race between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist is a dead heat, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Scott and Crist deadlocked, with each receiving 42 percent of the vote and Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie receiving 7 percent. If Wyllie is not factored in, Scott and Crist were tied at 44 percent.

“For all the money spent on this race, it now appears the winner will be the one whose organization excels at the blocking and tackling of politics — getting their voters to the polls,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a prepared statement accompanying the results.

The survey of 984 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 20, so it does not take into account the race’s third and final debate Tuesday night in Jacksonville. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

The results are similar to a Quinnipiac Poll conducted last month that showed Scott with 44 percent of the vote, Crist at 42 percent and Wyllie at 8 percent. The new poll indicated that 90 percent of voters who said they supported a candidate are unlikely to change their minds before the Nov. 4 election.

Wednesday’s results also reinforced that voters have negative views of Scott and Crist, after months of the two sides attacking each other. Brown said voters will be casting ballots for the “lesser of two evils.”

“Will nice guys finish last in the Florida governor’s race? According to voters, there are no nice guys in this race, since neither Scott nor Crist are viewed favorably,” Brown said.

The Connecticut-based Quinnipiac frequently conducts polls in Florida and other states for major media nationwide. They are considered among the nation’s most accurate political pollsters.

by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

Comments

10 Responses to “Poll: Scott, Crist Deadlocked As Election Day Nears”

  1. Susan on October 25th, 2014 4:43 pm

    I do not see how any state employee could vote for Scott again. He took 3% for retirement without grandfathering us. For those near retirement he lessened Deferred Retirement Plan from 6.7% to 1.6%. So say what you want about Crist, but when he was in office he vetoed the 3% taken from employee pay. I voted my pocketbook and I hope other state employees also vote their pocketbook and get this guy out.

    You guys that are saying the Scott got all these jobs and Crist lost them, where other than the 30 sec commercials are you getting this? Scott also turned down 2.4 billion dollars earmarked for the high rail in south Florida. That was insane. Many people including us in the panhandle would have gone down there to work for that kind of money. And, calling someone a flip flopper when Scott reversed his position on receiving federal money for medicare for seniors. He changed his mind when he couldn’t use Florida money for his pet projects. so then it was ok to take O’Bama money.

  2. ABC on October 24th, 2014 8:10 pm

    To vote in America is the duty of every citizen, also it is their duty to make sure they understand all that each candidate has accomplished, find a politician that is not crooked in one way or another, there is no excuse for the behavior of either of these candidates, but if you truly study all they each has accomplished, you would have to vote for Rick Scott. at least he hasnt used our money to run for office…………………….

  3. No Excuses on October 24th, 2014 10:25 am

    I am a middle-class WORKING REPUBLICAN. I have a job because someone had the foresight to shut down social equalization at some point in this state so that we have the money to be paid a salary. So, Rick Scott still gets my vote! Those big businesses provide jobs for the rest of us.

    In my experience as a working class Republican, all I have EVER qualified for was to pay, even after I lost my house and most of my belongings in Hurricane Ivan. If you want Crist, be prepared to pay more for less, because that is exactly what a Democrat will do – tax and spend, tax and spend. So, yes, lower taxes is an excellent place to start when choosing a candidate for voting! That money in my pocket will then be used to support the economy somewhere else – not in big state government efforts.

  4. Michael on October 23rd, 2014 8:12 pm

    Ronald Reagan and Charlie Crist have something in common. They both switched political parties. It’s ok. As an educator, my vote is for Crist. He stood with teachers against the legislature before as a Republican. He makes choices for the people and not for political favors. Scott is a crook and “unsavory.” This is an easy choice.

  5. Mark T on October 23rd, 2014 7:53 pm

    Republicans represent not people that work for a living, but the ones who make money off of working people !! Just because they cut taxes doesn’t make them good representatives of the citizens !!

  6. No Excuses on October 23rd, 2014 2:37 pm

    It’s a matter of who cut taxes the most for me. Scott gets my vote. Add to that the fact that Crist has no idea who he wants to be when he grows up, and Scott gets my vote!

  7. David Huie Green on October 23rd, 2014 11:52 am

    They’re both so good, it’s hard to choose.

    David for straight faces

  8. Harry on October 23rd, 2014 9:17 am

    I will be going to the low income neighborhoods to drive people to the polls. I want to do my part to make sure we get Rick Scott voted out. Charlie Crist for governor!

  9. Gary on October 23rd, 2014 9:01 am

    “I’m a republican. No, now I an an independant. Wait, I now want to be a democrat and I love Obama.” Crist will do and say anything to get elected. Hundreds of thousands of jobs lost during his time in office. Rick Scott has created hundreds of thousands of jobs and moved Florida forward and has never deviated from his plan or party.

    Who could vote for a politician who changes parties that many times and did so much damage to Florida? Crist is a carpetbagger.

  10. Kate on October 23rd, 2014 6:05 am

    When you research and really look, you see that Crist wasn’t a bad governor. Scott on the other hand, attacked teachers, their wages and the demands he placed on them. Scott took credit for bringing Navy Federal in with many more jobs when they were already coming in. Taking credit for someone else’s work is being a LIAR. Why does our party support a man who took part in Medicare fraud and lies like a rug. Is Scott the best we have? SAD