Republican Senator Rick Scott continues to hold a lead over Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in Florida's U.S. Senate race, but the gap between them is shrinking, according to a poll released by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research USA.
The poll shows Scott with 47% of the support among likely voters, compared to Mucarsel-Powell's 43%. An additional 6% of voters said they are still undecided, a group that could prove to be crucial come November.
The figure compares to the last poll tracked by FiveThirtyEight. Conducted in August by McLaughlin & Associates among 800 likely voters, it had Scott with a 10-point advantage.
When taking a more granular look, Scott's support is notably stronger among male voters and those aged 50 and older, while Mucarsel-Powell has a slight edge among women. Voters aged 50 and above favor Scott while younger voters aged 18 to 49 slightly prefer Mucarsel-Powell, 47% to 44%.
Scott leads among white voters without a college degree, securing 55% of their support while the race is tighter among white college-educated voters, with Scott at 48% to Mucarsel-Powell's 47%.
Mucarsel-Powell has a substantial lead among Black voters, with 70% support to Scott's 20% while Latino voters are nearly evenly split, with Mucarsel-Powell at 47% and Scott at 45%. Party loyalty remains strong for both candidates, with 85% of Republicans backing Scott and 81% of Democrats supporting Mucarsel-Powell, yet independent voters are more evenly divided, with 44% supporting Scott and 42% backing Mucarsel-Powell.
On Tuesday, Mucarsel-Powell went after Scott after a poll by USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN revealed that only 35% of respondents view him favorably and 49% expressed disapproval.
"This is not the first poll that I've seen that Rick Scott is completely underwater. People know who he is across the state, and that's why they don't want to vote for him," she said in an interview, adding that "his brand has become toxic" and "if there's a Republican who's going to lose in Florida, it's Rick Scott."
However, Scott's campaign was quick to dismiss the statements, focusing on his consistent lead on the polls. "Every election, Florida Democrats say Rick Scott is in trouble, and every election they lose," said Will Hampson, a spokesperson for the Scott campaign. "Bring it on."
Mucarsel-Powell is the only Latina currently vying for a U.S. Senate seat and is trying to beat the incumbent Governor in a state in which the GOP holds a 1 million lead over democrats when it comes to registered voters. Republicans currently control the governor's office, both houses of the state legislature, both U.S. Senate seats, and 18 of 30 congressional districts.
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