A new poll has now revealed that Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) margin over Democratic challenger and former Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has decreased to a mere two points, a significant decrease from earlier this year that may indicate a more competitive race in November.
The first-term senator holds a 2-point advantage over Mucarsel-Powell, with a 45 percent to 43 percent margin, according to the survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research, which was released on Wednesday.
This represents a significant decline from April, when Scott maintained a 17-point advantage over Mucarsel-Powell.
The public has been sparsely polled regarding the election. The University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab conducted a poll in November that revealed that Scott, a former governor, had a 39 percent favorable rating and a 49 percent unfavorable rating.
When asked whether they had a favorable opinion of Mucarsel-Powell, approximately 48% of the respondents either did not know or did not respond.
The former congresswoman has criticized Scott on a variety of issues, such as his stance on Social Security and Medicare, as well as abortion, which is a critical issue in the election due to the state’s recently enforced abortion ban.
The Florida lawmaker has occasionally maintained a contentious relationship with certain members of his party.
He lost a leadership contest against longstanding Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in 2022.
He is currently competing to succeed McConnell, who has declared that he will not seek another term as the Senate Republican leader.
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