Republican Governor Rick Scott is seeing his poll numbers rise -- but he still trails former Governor Charlie Crist in a potential 2014 election battle. Quinnipiac University released a poll Tuesday showing the Republican-turned-Democrat Crist leading Scott by 47% to 37%.
While that's a big edge for Crist, it's down from a 16-point margin in a March poll. Peter Brown of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute says the poll is good news and bad news for both men."For Scott the good news is that 16 points is down to ten, and that he's at his highest levels ever on favorability and job approval", said Brown. "Now, they're not great numbers, but they're better than what they have been."
Still, just 35% of voters say Scott deserves a second term, while 50% say he doesn't.
But Brown said better economic news almost always helps the incumbent. And in Florida, jobs are up and unemployment down.
"A lot more think it's getting better than think it's getting worse" Brown said. "And then when you ask those people, 'Who do you give credit to?' more of them give credit to Mr. Scott than to Mr. Obama."
Brown said the poll still shows voters approving Crist's switch to the Democratic Party. That's the number to watch, he said. Crist hasn't said whether he'll run against Scott next year.