Charlie Crist Is Pretty Much Tied With Rick Scott In Florida Governor's Race

Florida Governor's Race Virtually Tied
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - NOVEMBER 4: Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist speaks with supporters after announcing that he will run for Governor as a Democrat on November 4, 2013 at Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. Crist served as Florida's 44th governor as a Republican from 2007 to 2011. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - NOVEMBER 4: Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist speaks with supporters after announcing that he will run for Governor as a Democrat on November 4, 2013 at Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. Crist served as Florida's 44th governor as a Republican from 2007 to 2011. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

If Florida's gubernatorial election were held today, voters would barely pick former governor and Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist over current Republican Gov. Rick Scott, according to a poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling.

The liberal-leaning polling firm found that 43 percent of Florida voters would back Crist, while 41 percent would back Scott. Those numbers are well within the poll's margin of error of 4 points, however, meaning the race is virtually tied.

Both candidates suffer from similarly low approval ratings -- only 34 percent of voters approve of Scott's job performance as governor, while 36 percent have a favorable opinion of Crist, according to PPP.

The Florida governor's race is viewed as one of this year's most competitive. Last February, Politico reported that Scott had planned a $100 million reelection campaign, the most expensive in state history. In 2010, he spent $73 million of his own money to move on from the Republican primary and win the general election.

Scott's presumed 2014 general election opponent is Crist, a former Republican governor of Florida who left the GOP after a failed 2010 Senate campaign. He officially became a Democrat in December 2012.

Scott leads Crist's Democratic primary opponent, former Florida state Sen. Nan Rich, 40 percentage points to 34 percentage points in the PPP poll.

Before You Go

Doctored Newspaper Front Page

Rick Scott Controversies

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot