If he were to run as a Democrat in Florida’s 2014 gubernatorial election, Charlie Crist would edge Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL), a new poll released Friday shows.
The latest poll from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows that Crist leads the hypothetical match-up, 44 percent to 41 percent. Crist was a member of the Republican Party when he served as the state’s governor from 2007 until 2011. In 2010, he ran for U.S. Senate as an independent, ultimately falling to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Friday’s poll shows that 42 percent of voters believe that Crist should become a Democrat, while only 27 percent believe he should not switch parties.
Elected in 2010 after spending over $70 million of his own funds during the campaign, Scott has battled anemic approval ratings throughout his first term. Only 39 percent of voters approve of his job performance in PPP’s survey, while 51 percent disapprove. The PollTracker Average currently shows Scott’s approval rating well under water, with 38.3 percent approving and 51.7 percent disapproving.
