Tuesday’s race for Florida governor is going to be a nail biter, says Public Policy Polling, which released its final survey before Election Day on Sunday.
Both Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist are tied at 44 percent, with Libertarian Adrian Wyllie taking 6 percent.
Although the North Carolina-based pollsters rarely report to the decimal point, in this case they are making an exception, since the polls are that close; Crist gets 44.0 percent and Scott gets 43.8 percent.
In a tweet Sunday evening, PPP also points out exactly how close the final Florida poll came out: 526 respondents picked Crist, 524 picked Scott.
Both candidates still struggle with likability amongst voters: Scott’s approval is 41 percent positive, 48 percent negative. In comparison, Crist’s favorability stands at 40 percent favorable, 47 percent unfavorable.
However, the Connecticut governor’s contest between Democrat incumbent Dan Malloy and Republican challenger Tom Foley may eclipse Florida as the “most hated candidate race,” PPP says.
Wyllie is also shaping up to be a spoiler in the governor’s race. The Libertarian hurts Crist more than he does Scott. After asking Wyllie supporters who else they would have chosen, 43 percent said Crist; only 18 percent said Scott.
Taking Wyllie out of the equation and Crist takes a one-point lead 47 to 46 percent.
Amendment 2, the push to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, is polling at 53 percent approval (41 percent against). But since constitutional amendments need 60 percent to pass, pollsters submit it probably will fall short on Tuesday.
In other Florida races, PPP polling across the state finds Republicans have solid leads on many ballots.
