In the first statewide poll since Hurricane Michael ravaged Florida, Republican Gov. Rick Scott took the lead in the tight battle with three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
According to the St. Petes Poll released Wednesday, Scott — who has been widely praised for his relief efforts after Michael — leads Nelson by 48.6 to 47.2 percent among likely voters statewide.
The poll results came just as CNBC announced that the final debate between Scott and Nelson was canceled. A spokesman for the network said the cancellation was a result of the candidates being unable to agree on a date.
Scott has long won high marks from voters for his oversight of disaster relief. He personally oversaw the resettling of the refugees from Puerto Rico earlier this year. According to the St. Petes Poll, a strong 62 percent of likely voters approve of his handling of Hurricane Michael, compared to 21 percent who don’t, and 18 percent who have no opinion.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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