If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003.

ARCHIVE

Florida Senate: Nelson (D) 52%, Mack (R) 41%

Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is pulling away in Florida’s U.S. Senate race, now crossing the 50% mark for the first time.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Sunshine State finds Nelson earning 52% of the vote, while Republican Connie Mack picks up 41% support.  One percent (1%) prefers some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Nelson held a 47% to 40% advantage over Mack, a U.S. congressman, in August and September. 

Because the gap between Nelson and Mack has widened, this race moves from Leans Democrat to Safe Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Senate Balance of Power Rankings and further highlights the likelihood that Democrats will retain control of the Senate.  

The presidential race in Florida, however, remains a Toss-Up, with Mitt Romney ahead of President Obama by just two points.

Ninety-three percent (93%) of likely Florida voters say they are certain to vote this election cycle. Among these voters, it's Nelson 51%, Mack 44%.

How are you doing in the Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.  A new challenge will begin tomorrow.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Florida was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Nelson earns favorable reviews from 50% of voters in the Sunshine State and unfavorable reviews from 40%, including Very Favorables of 17% and Very Unfavorables of 25%.

For Mack, favorables are 38% and unfavorables are 50%. These figures include 15% who have a Very Favorable impression and 26% who view him Very Unfavorably. Twelve percent (12%) have no opinion of him.  

Nelson earns 52% support among both male and female voters in Florida.  He also leads among young and middle-aged voters but trails Mack among those 65 and older.

Mack draws support from only 71% of Florida Republicans. Twenty-four percent (24%) of GOP voters in the state and 91% of Democrats prefer Nelson. The  candidates run even among voters not affiliated with either major political party.

Just 13% of all voters in the state rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent. Forty-nine percent (49%) say the economy is in poor shape. While 35% say economic conditions are getting better, 38% think they are getting worse.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) describe their own finances as good or excellent, while 10% view them as poor. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say their personal finances are getting better, while 28% believe they are getting worse.

Nelson is ahead among those who rate the economy positively, while Mack’s out front among voters in the larger group who view the economy as poor.

Elections for 33 U.S. Senate seats will be held in November. See the latest numbers in Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin

Fifty-four percent (54%) of Florida voters now approve of the job Republican Governor Rick Scott is doing, a sizable jump from last month.  Forty-one percent (41%) disapprove. This includes Strong Approval from 16% and Strong Disapproval from 28%. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Florida was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Rasmussen Reports is a media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information.

We conduct public opinion polls on a variety of topics to inform our audience on events in the news and other topics of interest. To ensure editorial control and independence, we pay for the polls ourselves and generate revenue through the sale of subscriptions, sponsorships, and advertising. Nightly polling on politics, business and lifestyle topics provides the content to update the Rasmussen Reports web site many times each day. If it's in the news, it's in our polls. Additionally, the data drives a daily update newsletter and various media outlets across the country.

Some information, including the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll and commentaries are available for free to the general public. Subscriptions are available for $4.95 a month or 34.95 a year that provide subscribers with exclusive access to more than 20 stories per week on upcoming elections, consumer confidence, and issues that affect us all. For those who are really into the numbers, Platinum Members can review demographic crosstabs and a full history of our data.

To learn more about our methodology, click here.