FL-Senate: Rubio Within 10 of Crist

November 20, 2009: Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio's challenge to Gov. Charlie Crist for the Sunshine State's Republican Senatorial nomination has been simmering below the surface for several months but now is about to boil over. Mr. Rubio was, until recently, strong on enthusiasm but lacking in polling support against the powerful Florida chief executive. Now, cracks in Crist's political armor are beginning to show. 
 
Research 2000, polling for the liberal Daily Kos national political blog at the end of January, staked Crist to what appeared to be an insurmountable 57%-4% lead over Rubio. Yesterday, R2000 released another poll, and it shows the Governor's margin now down to just 47%-37%, with the primary still nine months away. 
 
Additionally, Rubio continues to rack up huge victories in county Republican Executive Committee straw polls. The 38-year old former House Speaker is 10-0 in such voting, recently winning Highlands County by a 75-1 count among the party activists attending the meeting. Earlier this year in Pasco County, which borders Crist's home county of Pinellas from the Tampa Bay area, the vote was 73-9. In Palm Beach County just last month, Rubio won 90-17.