TALLAHASSEE — Women with doubts about flashy, self-financed newcomers have boosted Attorney General Bill McCollum and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in their tough primary campaigns.
A statewide survey released Wednesday by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute also indicated that strong involvement by Democratic and Republican party officials is helping McCollum's GOP bid for governor and Meek's Democratic U.S. Senate campaign.
Florida could be bucking a trend of anti-incumbent rancor among voters next Tuesday, pollster Peter Brown said.
"On the Republican side, Bill McCollum has come back from a double-digit deficit to hold almost a double-digit lead," he said. "On the Democratic side, Kendrick Meek has come back from a double-digit deficit to hold a solid single-digit lead."
The poll showed McCollum leading challenger Rick Scott 44 percent to 35 percent among likely Republican voters. Meek, an eight-year congressman from Miami Gardens, held a 35 percent to 28 percent lead over Palm Beach real estate investor Jeff Greene.
In both races, women made a big difference. Brown said vigorous support by top party leaders — Presidents Obama and Clinton endorsing Meek, ex-Gov. Jeb Bush and the state Republican Party backing McCollum — helped create doubts about the two wealthy "outsider" challengers.
The poll showed high numbers of undecided voters in both races — 19 percent of Republicans and 29 percent of Democrats.
Posted By: Kendrick Meek
Thursday, August 19th 2010 at 12:15PM
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