Republican Governor Charlie Crist continues to maintain a sizable lead over his chief Democratic opponent, Rep. Kendrick Meek, in Florida’s 2010 race for the U.S. Senate.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey of Florida voters show Crist with a 19-point lead over Meek – 48% to 29%. Ten percent (10%) like some other candidate, and 13% are not sure.

These findings are little changed from June when Crist held a 50% to 29% lead over Meek.

But the African-American congressman from the North Miami area doesn’t fare much better when pitted against the other prominent Republican seeking his party’s Senate nomination, Marco Rubio. The former state House Speaker defeats Meek 43% to 30%, with eight percent (8%) opting for some other candidate and 19% undecided.

Crist currently holds a 53% to 31% lead over Rubio among like Republican Primary voters.

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Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Florida voters approve of Crist’s job performance, including 17% who strongly approve. Forty percent (40%) disapprove, 19% strongly. These numbers are roughly the same as two months ago.

Crist has announced he will not seek reelection to run for the seat being vacated by Republican Senator Mel Martinez. The popular governor hurt himself with many of his fellow Republicans when he endorsed President Obama’s economic stimulus plan earlier this year, and Rubio is challenging him from the right. Martinez plans to step down as soon as Crist appoints an interim senator to serve until next year’s election.

Crist captures 76% of the GOP vote and 23% of Democrats in a run against Meek. Rubio has support from 74% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats in his match-up with the four-term congressman.

Nineteen percent (19%) of Florida voters have a very favorable opinion of Crist, while 14% view him very unfavorably.

Meek is viewed very favorably by 12% and very unfavorably by 15%.

Thirteen percent (13%) see Rubio very favorably, but nine percent (9%) have a very unfavorable opinion of the Cuban-American legislator from Miami.

At this very early stage of the campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the very favorable and very unfavorable figures more significant than the overall favorability totals.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) say the economy is the most important issue in Florida, followed distantly by health care (15%), education (10%) and the availability and cost of homeowners’ insurance (8%).

Just four percent (4%) of Sunshine State voters believe the recession is over. Eighty-three percent (83%) don’t.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) favor the health care reform plan proposed by Obama and congressional Democrats, while 59% oppose it. But as in the rest of the country, the nays feel much more strongly: 20% strongly favor the plan, but 52% strongly oppose it. Opposition in Florida, perhaps due to its large seniors population, is higher than the overall findings nationally.

Among those with health insurance, opposition is slightly higher.

When it comes to health care decisions, 60% of Florida voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. Thirty-three percent (33%) fear insurance companies more. The numbers are virtually identical among those who have health insurance. Nationally, 51% fear insurance companies, while 41% take the opposition position.

Fifty percent (50%) say ending the trade embargo with Cuba will help Florida, but 26% believe it will hurt the state. Eight percent (8%) say it will have no impact.

There’s a substantial partisan divide on this question, however. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats and 51% of voters not affiliated with either major party say lifting the embargo will be good for Florida. Republicans are evenly divided.

Forty-two percent (42%) of Florida voters approve of the job Obama is doing, but 57% disapprove. As with the findings on the health care plan though, those who strongly disapprove of the president’s performance far outnumber those who strongly approve – 47% to 27%. These findings are far worse that the national numbers in the Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking poll.

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