Crist and Rubio Tied in New Poll
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By: Tom Parkinson

A new poll shows Governor Charlie Crist tied with former State House Speaker Marco Rubio in the race for the Republican nomination for US Senate. It's a big change from two months ago, when several polls showed Crist leading by 10 to 15 points. The latest Rasmussen poll has Crist and Rubio both at 43 percent among likely Republican voters. The two are competing for the GOP nomination in next year's race to fill the seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Mel Martinez. Crist once held a sizable lead in the polls but his standing among conservatives has slipped. Some Republicans say they are disappointed with Crist's support of President Obama's stimulus bill. More recently, Crist championed Central Florida's commuter rail project, which many conservatives oppose. However, Governor Crist still has a formidable edge in fundraising with more than 6 million dollars in campaign funds. The Rasmussen poll also shows that either of the Republican contenders would defeat the likely Democratic candidate Congressman Kendrick Meek if the general election were held now. The Republican primary is set for next August.