Rubio leads Demings by 7 points in Florida

Florida – According to a new Florida poll, Republican Marco Rubio has an early advantage over Democrat Val Demings as he seeks a third term in the U.S. Senate later this year.

The Mason-Dixon poll released Wednesday shows 49% of registered voters statewide would vote for Rubio if November’s election were held today, compared with 42% for Demings and 9% undecided.

The poll was conducted by phone from Feb. 7-10, registered 625 voters. It included 236 registered Democrats, 249 Republicans, and 140 independent, and the margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

A 50-year-old, Rubio, has held the seat since winning it in 2010 but could face stiff competition from the 64-year-old Demings, who’s served as a congresswoman since 2017.

But the poll said that when it comes to name recognition, 95% of registered voters recognize Rubio compared to 68% who are familiar with Demings.

Support for both runs mostly along party lines, but independents back Rubio over Demings by about 10 points, at 47%-37%. Rubio leads in all regions of Florida except the southeast, where Demings has a 53%-40% advantage.

But President Joe Biden’s low job rating in Florida could have an impact on the Senate race, the poll said.

Among Florida voters, 40% approve of Biden’s performance in office, while 55% disapprove and 5% are not sure, the poll said.

The poll said when it comes to Florida independents, 61% disapprove of Biden’s performance compared to 33% who approve.