Nelson beats any Republican in new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, handily leads all declared Republican challengers plus a couple of undeclared challengers, according to the new Florida Poll.
The poll, from Ron Sachs Communications and Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, shows the only Republican who comes within 10 points of Nelson is U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation. And he announced Monday that he will not run for the Senate.
The survey, conducted Aug. 18 -Aug. 22, of 625 registered voters interviewed statewide by telephone, has a margin of error of 4 percent for broad questions and 5.8 percent for questions specific to the Republican primary.
Its results stand in stark contrast of a survey released earlier this week by a Colorado research company, Magellan Data & Mapping Strategies, which found unspecified “Republican Candidate” beating Nelson.
Mason-Dixon also found Republicans are undecided or unsatisfied with the current pool of candidates. The research firm included West, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, and Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee along with the four four leading declared candidates, former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, Winter Park businessman Craig Miller and Plant City businessman Mike McCalister. None polled well. And 52 percent of Republicans said they remain undecided.
Buchanan led among Republicans, with 14 percent and West got 11 percent. The four leading declared candidates polled even lower. Hasner drew 8 percent; LeMieux, 7 percent; Miller, 5 percent; McCalister, 2 percent; and Gee, 1 percent.
In head to head match-ups, Nelson leads LeMieux 49-34, Hasner 45-34, Buchanan 45-35 and West 44-38. Mason-Dixon did not survey match-ups between Nelson and either Miller or McCalistesr.
“While Senator Nelson has a comfortable lead for now, Republicans have yet to find their candidate and the field has yet to be settled,” said Ron Sachs, president of Ron Sachs Communications.