Florida’s two U.S. senators are above water according to a new poll but U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is in better shape than U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Quinnipiac University released a new poll on Wednesday looking at how Florida voters viewed their two senators.
Rubio is approved by 50 percent of those surveyed while 34 percent disapprove of him. Most Florida Republicans–77 percent–approve of Rubio while 55 percent of Democrats disapprove of him and 29 percent of them approve of him. Almost half of voters outside the major parties–49 percent–approve of Rubio while 32 percent of them disapprove of him. Rubio does well with voters across all age groups and of both genders. While black voters are split on him–with 37 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving–Rubio does well with white voters and even better with Hispanics. A majority of whites–53 percent–and Hispanics–55 percent–approve of Rubio.
First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Rubio is up for a third term in 2022. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 but lost to Donald Trump who bested Rubio in the Florida primary.
Scott is approved by 42 percent and disapproved by 38 percent. Florida Republicans overwhelmingly support Scott with 77 percent of them approving of him while 67 percent of Democrats disapprove of him. Voters outside the major parties are split on Scott with 38 percent of them approving of him and 37 percent disapproving of him. Scott does better with men as 46 percent of them approve of him while 33 percent of them disapprove of him. Women are more divided with 42 percent of them disapproving of Scott while 39 percent of them approve. A majority of black Floridians–56 percent–disapproves of Scott while 23 percent of them approve of him. Scott does better with whites with 47 percent approving of him while 34 percent disapprove of him and Hispanics with 44 percent approving of the senator and 37 percent disapproving of him.
After a successful career in the private sector, in 2010 Scott was elected governor and won a second term four years later. Last year, Scott edged U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
The poll of 1,058 Florida voters was taken from March 6 through March 11 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent.
Kevin Derby can be reached at Kevin.Derby@floridadaily.com.
