Nelson widens lead over Harris
2006-10-20
Source: Orlando Sentinel
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rss feedDemocratic Sen. Bill Nelson has widened his lead over challenger Katherine Harris to 26 points -- a gap that says as much about voters' dislike of Harris as it does about their enthusiasm for Nelson.
Nelson is ahead with 57 percent, to Harris' 31 percent, according to the Mason-Dixon poll released Thursday.
Yet less than half of the voters -- 48 percent -- had a favorable opinion of Nelson. Such a mediocre approval rating normally would be a handicap for incumbent senators -- who usually rank in the mid-50s -- except the poll showed that 46 percent had unfavorable opinions of Harris, pollster Brad Coker said.
"He can get away with it because she is such a lightning rod," Coker said. "He'd have a little harder time if he had a different opponent."
Nelson has been ahead by at least 15 points since Mason-Dixon first began polling nearly two years ago.
The contest has been dominated by Harris' missteps, such as constant staff turnover and a U.S. Justice Department investigation into her dealings with a convicted defense contractor.
Some are even suggesting the match-up is so lopsided that Nelson's margin of victory could be one for the history books.
"He could have a last-minute blitz and come close to setting a new record," said Aubrey Jewett, a political-science professor at the University of Central Florida.
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