MIAMI- New polls and new ads being released that are intensifying one of the most watched Senate races of the 2010 election cycle, as the Florida Republican primary opponents Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist prepare for their debate on Fox News Sunday this weekend–the first in the heated race.
According to a new Rasmussen Reports Florida telephone survey,Rubio has not “lost any ground” to Crist despite the media pounding he has received in Florida over his expenditures while a member of the state House.
Rubio is leading Charlie Crist 56% to 34%, according to the state-wide automated telephone survey. It is the fourth time in the past month that a poll has shown a wide lead for Rubio, following the PPP poll, Florida Times Union poll/Insider Advantage, and Daily Kos/Research 2000 polls.
The recent polls continue to fuel questions on whether Crist will leave the Republican party, and run as an independent candidate for Senate. Crist still polls relatively well with independents and Democrats, and has up until the April 30th deadline if he were to announce a switch, but he has adamantly said that he has no intention to run as anything but a Republican.
Rasmussen also shows that Congressman Kendrick Meek, the likely Democratic nominee, still trails both Crist and Rubio but has gained some ground verse front-runner Rubio. Rubio leads Meek 48% to 34%, while Crist has a 45% to 34% lead over the Democrat.Last month, Rubio led Meek 51% to 31%. The Daily Kos/Research 2000 survey released earlier this month had Meek in a virtual tie with Rubio.
Meanwhile, Crist campaign has launched their first significant media ad buy,issuing a TV ad called “Different”,and a radio ad called “Conservative” . Rubio has responded with a new web ad countering the latter ad, titled “When?”.
The acrimony between the two campaigns has only increased in the past week after media reports have focused on questionable credit card expenses on both sides.
The Miami Herald and the St.Petersburg Times reportedt hat Rubio’s former chief of staff, Richard Corcoran, spent roughly $60,000 on his party American Express card over a 2 month period shortly before he was sworn in as Florida Speaker of the House in 2006. Corcoran charges included a chartered flight to Washington DC for Rubio and his top aides, ” a $600-a-night hotel hosting a Republican party conference and hired a chauffeur to squire them around the city”. Corcoran has said there was nothing wrong with these expenses.
A St. Petersburg Times article also reported that the Crist campaign may have “crossed the legal line” by making a $16,000 payment to reimburse the then executive director of the Republican party in Florida after he used his own party credit card to buy what could be considered campaign paraphernelia. It would be considered illegal, according to campaign finance rules, if the Florida GOP gave more than $5,000 to the Crist campaign.
Crist and Rubio will have their first debate this Sunday on FOX NEWS Sunday with Chris Wallace. Check your local listings.
Note: Most of these aforementioned polls use automated phone polling. Two of them , Daily Kos, and PPP are from Democratic pollsters. FYI
Jake Gibson contributed to this report.