UF Poll Says Florida Governor’s Race Is Tied

October 31, 2014

A new University of Florida poll indicates the governor’s race is deadlocked, with Republican incumbent Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist each getting the support of 36 percent of likely voters and Libertarian Adrian Wyllie receiving 6 percent, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The poll of likely voters was conducted from October 24-28 for the Tampa Bay Times, Bay News 9 and News 13 of Orlando by the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service and Bureau of Economic and Business Research. The poll had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Earlier Thursday, Quinnipiac University released a poll that showed Crist leading by a margin of 43 percent to 40 percent, with Wyllie at 8 percent. That poll had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. With Tuesday’s election nearing, Quinnipiac said Crist has received a boost from independent voters.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

24 Responses to “UF Poll Says Florida Governor’s Race Is Tied”

  1. David Huie Green on November 2nd, 2014 3:40 pm

    REGARDING:
    “when you plead the 5th amendment 75 times, is to keep from incriminating yourself and to avoid prosecution.”

    When you invoke the Constitution’s protection against being forced to testify against yourself, you are forcing the accuser to prove your guilt.
    If the prosecutor can not do so, he should not prosecute you.

    There can be other reasons to invoke your right to not be forced to incriminate yourself, sometimes anything you say can be used against you so it is best to say nothing.

    What is noteworthy is that Governor Scott’s accusers are forced to look to 1997 to find anything they hope to smear him with. It wasn’t enough to keep him out of office four years ago, but it might now that he has the worthy opponent of Charlie Crist.

    We shall see.

    David for better politicians

  2. erica on November 1st, 2014 4:29 pm

    All politicians are crooked so pick your battles. Crist is going to be just like Obama so unless u want Obama running Florida VOTE FOR SCOTT!!!! we had a huge deficit under Christ major job loss and he is against guns and loves obamacare so use your common sense! With Scott we are in a surplus! what other state can say that? and he is all for your gun rights and jobs. God help us if Crist wins! I don’t know how anyone can vote for him its a no brainer. Didn’t we learn the first time we had him?

  3. chillywilly on November 1st, 2014 10:19 am

    I’ve heard the accusations of immproprieties agaist Scott, but accusations are not indictments.
    Please,,, when you plead the 5 th amendment 75 times , is to keep from
    incriminating yourself and to avoid prosecution. This is the same Governor
    that Re- scheduled a mans execution by three weeks so his AG Pam Bondi
    could attend a party/fundraiser. The man is preparing physically,mentally, and
    spiritually to die, what kind of human being would do such a thing
    Put disabled children in nursing homes because he cut funding to in home services , so they could stay home and get the care they need. Scott attended
    a special Olympics event the same day he signed legislation cutting funding to handicapped children , what kind of man does such a thing, people do your homework

  4. Bob's Brother on October 31st, 2014 7:34 pm

    I’d like someone to explain to me why voting for and electing C. Crist will help anyone other than C. Crist. I’m sure C.C. is foaming at the mouth at having a 2nd chance in the Gov’s mansion. Think about all the honest people Scott has on the payroll who will get dumped. Think about the revenge politics and how C.C. knows how to game the system.
    I’ve heard the accusations of immproprieties agaist Scott, but accusations are not indictments.
    I proudly voted for Charley the first time when he was a Republican, but I fail to see his value as a liberal Obama loving Democrat.

  5. Jeff on October 31st, 2014 7:08 pm

    So those voting for Rick Scott can overlook 75 instances of “I plead the 5th in order to not incriminate myself.” This involved taxpayer money. Did you pay taxes?

    Scott quit his job as the CEO of the company (HCA) that was convicted of fraud and admitted to 14 felonies and paid fines totaling over $600,000,000. Money that was charged to the US taxpayer in a proven fraud.

    Rick conveniently resigned before the sanctions were handed down and subsequently spent $73,000,000 of his own money to get elected to an ~ $130,000/year position as Florida governor.

    $73,000,000 >$130,000 by a lot. Why would a person do this?

    And Rick Scott has spent a lot more of his personal fortune to defeat Charlie Crist this time around.

    If you can’t connect the dots, Florida deserves to be the continued laughingstock because of the allure of the “R” next to the candidate.

  6. Mark T on October 31st, 2014 3:18 pm

    It’ll snow in Molino in August, before I vote for another Republican !!

  7. MB on October 31st, 2014 2:25 pm

    Watch the debates and make your own decision.

    Look at the experience.

    Candidate A is a lifelong Florida resident. He was Florida State Senator, Florida Education Commissioner, Florida Attorney General, and Florida Governor.

    Candidate B is the current Florida Governor. He has no personal ties to Florida. He resigned as Chief Executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997 amid a controversy over the company’s business and Medicare billing practices; the company ultimately admitted to fourteen felonies and agreed to pay the federal government over $600 million, which was the largest fraud settlement in US history.

    Tough choice, eh? Crist should win easlily over Scott, but people tend to vote for the letter beside the person and not the individual. I wish we could do away with party politics.

  8. Michael on October 31st, 2014 1:37 pm

    As a public school employee, there is no way I would EVER vote for Scott. His values do not align with mine. People make their choices on the letter beside their name.

    Crist flip flopped on issues and on the party. Guess what? So did Ronald Reagan who many R’s feel was the best president ever. Are people not allowed to change their minds?

    Unfortunately, Scott is a known crook who bought his way out of it. I’ll choose Charlie. I won’t plead the 5th.

  9. Realist on October 31st, 2014 12:57 pm

    Jay Roberys…are you talking about Rick Scott or Obama? And if any of you really believe that the democratic party really cares about the lower class I have some swamp land to sell you.

    Chillywilly…who do you think is funding the poor? If its not the middle or upper then who is it? Or did you just want to leave that off your post? and that’s right keep shuttling people to the polls and tell them who to vote for that is the real liberal/democratic way. You don’t want people who can think for themselves right? Well you have plenty of them to shuttle I just hope you are not doing it on the tax payer dime.

  10. Ulysess Everette McGill on October 31st, 2014 12:52 pm

    Is it just me? Or is Crist just out for himself? The flip flops, the fact he can’t figure out if he’s a Dem or Repub, doesn’t that bother anyone?

  11. Lou Ann on October 31st, 2014 12:23 pm

    I agree with Larry. Thank you Larry! Let’s do what we can to help elect Charlie. Go Charlie!!!

  12. Jay Roberys on October 31st, 2014 11:50 am

    Get real……. Scott is a rip off artist. He says that this high Duke Energy bill is Crist’s fault. Hey Scottie, you’re the sitting governor. What are YOU doing about it. All you do is spin your web of lies and we’re not going to fall for it again. Goodbye Scottie !!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. Bob C. on October 31st, 2014 10:37 am

    While I do not care for either of the candidates for governor I will vote.
    And, I will cast my vote to continue with Rick Scott.
    Crist has way too many negatives in his jack-o-lantern for me to even consider him.

    I will also vote to Continue the Local Option Sales Tax for the County and the School Board as there have been many very needed projects funded through this tax which ALL persons making purchases help fund.

    God Bless America and Please God Help Florida…..

  14. chillywilly on October 31st, 2014 10:32 am

    When Scott took office he initiated the largest tax increase in Florida history. Every cop, fireman, teacher, librarian, life guard, prison guard, secretary etc started paying an additional 3% in taxes. For example, a park ranger making $20 thousand per year is paying an ADDITIONAL $600 per year. This extra tax is then put in the general fund and then given to FPL, the auto insurance companies, the house insurance companies, real estate agents, and reduced property taxes for people who own second homes on the ocean. Basically, middle class and lower middle class workers are funding tax breaks for the wealthy. People making 20 grand per year are funding tax reductions for people making 200 grand. Is this fair? If you agree with this economic policy then that is fine, but you have to recognize the deceit in a man who purchased the Governor’s office on the tea party premise of lower taxes and then raised the taxes of thousands and thousands of blue collar workers. Disagreeing on politics and economics is one thing, hypocrisy is another.

  15. Larry on October 31st, 2014 9:19 am

    This is why partisan politics need to be done away. Most of you narrow minded rednecks are only voting for Scott because he is a republican. Charlie Crist is the best choice for governor and I am doing my part. I am going to be driving low income voters to the polls the people that Charlie Crist is going to help.

  16. Bill on October 31st, 2014 9:03 am

    So we have a choice between Flip Flop Charlie (thanks M) and Flim Flam Rick. Pick your favorite, Demo-crook or Republi-crook? Why not try Wyllie? Why keep choosing the lesser of two evils?

  17. bill on October 31st, 2014 8:28 am

    Just saw an Andy Marlette cartoon on the PNJ website that said “vote for the fan, with all the hot air in Florida, the fan might be the best choice”. Sadly, I have to agree.

  18. M in Bratt on October 31st, 2014 7:52 am

    Flip Flop Charlie has been on both sides and the middle of every issue that is important to Fla. voters. He has changed political parties repeatedly, and has ran in whichever party he thought gave him the best chance of winning an election. Who can believe anything he says? Rick Scott took office in some very tough economic times, and accomplished balancing the State budget by implementing cuts that were very unpopular to some groups, and at the same time managed to repeal some of the fees that Flip Flop had implemented. During Scott’s tenure as Governor, a substantial number of the jobs that were lost during Flip Flop’s reign returned to Fla. Voters have a choice between a tax and spend liberal, and a fiscal conservative that has the interests of the wage earners and taxpayers of Fla. at heart. Yes Scott is pro business, but aren’t businesses what provide jobs, and fuel the economy?

  19. M in Bratt on October 31st, 2014 7:20 am

    Flip

  20. Willene on October 31st, 2014 7:19 am

    I pray Rick Scott has another term as Governor

  21. Realist on October 31st, 2014 7:14 am

    So Kate…You took the time to tell us all why we should not vote for Scott but as usual the liberal idea is that is all you should have had to do. Why would anyone vote for either one of them?

    Example:
    Will you vote for Christ the Democrat, the Republican or the Independent?

    Will you vote for the Christ that likes ObamaCare or the one that does not?

    Will you vote for the Christ that likes Obama or the one that does not?

    So I also have to assume that Christ is running his campaign for free and not spending any money? (since you left that out) So that would equal $0 dollars per vote? (are you kidding me) Wake up people go out and ask the questions yourself and make an educated decision. People are starting to wake up and see where this country has gone over the last 6 years and have had enough.

  22. Kate on October 31st, 2014 5:41 am

    We can only hope that Scott is not re-elected, he apparently thinks your vote is bought and paid for my TV ads. At an approximately cost of $45.00 per vote. He takes credit for things he hasn’t done such as the jobs coming to Pensacola from Navy Federal they were coming before he was even thinking about running for office. At least he is spending the money he spent from Fraud of Medicare in Fla.

  23. 429SCJ on October 31st, 2014 5:07 am

    “Crist has received a boost from independent voters” Amen.

  24. Southern Conservative on October 31st, 2014 3:27 am

    I honestly don’t care for neither one, but I will have to go with Rick Scott once again.