The Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) at the University of North Florida (UNF) released a poll on Wednesday which shows the GOP candidates ahead in two Florida Cabinet races.
Running for a second term, state Attorney General Ashley Moody pulls 50 percent while former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, who won the Democratic primary, takes 36 percent. While 1 percent refused and less than one-half of 1 percent back other candidates, 13 percent are unsure who they will vote for.
In the state agriculture commissioner race, State Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Tribly, gets 44 percent when matched against South Florida Democratic activist Naomi Esther Blemur who takes 39 percent. While 1 percent refused and less than one-half of 1 percent back other candidates, 17 percent don’t know who they will vote for. The post is currently held by state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Florida.
The poll did not include the contest between state CFO Jimmy Patronis, a Republican, and Democratic challenger former state Rep. Adam Hattersley.
Dr. Michael Binder, PORL faculty director and a professor of political science at UNF, weighed in on the results on Wednesday, noting these races usually fall on party lines.
“As is the case with a lot of these races, the outcome will largely come down to who turns out the most voters – Republicans or Democrats – and it looks like Republicans are going to win that fight,” he said.
The poll of 622 likely voters in Florida was taken from Oct. 17 through Oct. 24 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percent.
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