Posted on 08/31/2006 3:29:27 AM PDT by NautiNurse
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris holds a double-digit lead over her three opponents in the Republican race for the U.S. Senate nomination in Florida's Sept. 5 primary election, a new poll released Thursday showed.
Harris, who is serving her second term in Congress from a district representing the Sarasota area, was favored by 38 percent of 317 likely Republican voters in a random telephone survey taken between Aug. 23-28 by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The survey reported a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.
William McBride, a 34-year-old Windermere attorney, was supported by 22 percent, while retired Navy admiral LeRoy Collins Jr., of Tampa was backed by 11 percent and Peter Monroe, a real estate developer from Safety Harbor, received 3 percent.
The winner of the GOP primary will face incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Melbourne, in the Nov. 7 general election.
A fourth of the likely Republican voters questioned said they were still undecided and nearly a half, 45 percent, said they might change their minds by election day - including a third of those who said they presently favored Harris.
"If Rep. Harris had only one opponent she might be in deep trouble," said Peter Brown, assistant polling director for Quinnipiac. "But having three candidates splitting the anti-Harris vote is a major plus for her."
Harris was rated favorably by 36 percent while 25 percent viewed her unfavorably and another 22 percent said they had mixed opinions about the former Florida secretary of state, who gained notoriety for her role in the 2000 presidential election recount.
Her opponents are so poorly known by most voters that none were rated favorably by more than 18 percent of the respondents.
Harris embraced in Manatee
Bradenton...It was clear that a large number of Bradenton commuters, despite the bad press, the dire polling predictions and the disapproval of Republican Party leaders, still support their hometown congresswoman enough to shout out their windows and lay on their horns.
The honking only became louder when Katherine Harris joined about a dozen of her supporters in the searing afternoon sun. The majority of driver reactions were positive. A smaller number were thumbs-down. A couple were unprintable.
I heard her on Glenn Beck yesterday. She was almost as good as Rick Santorum was the day before.
Harris received several standing ovations from an SRO crowd earlier this week.
I guess that as much as I detest the idea, I'm going to have to vote for McBride. None of the other candidates has a chance of beating her, and she sure as heck can't beat Nelson.
I like spunky wimmin. Especially when they are RIGHT!!!
Ya' know - she could be doing a lot better if higher level Republicans would have gotten behind her.
If she wins the big one it will be with no thanks to the Republican power brokers in that state.
Harris has a solid conservative voting record. She's got my vote and my support. The MSM Harris smear campaign has been astounding. I'm surprised they haven't published her bathroom habits yet...but there is still time.
Well Duh! - A Master of the blindingly obvious.
Did the writer have to choke when he (had to?) wrote this column? - He certainly trotted out all of the possible things that might have happened:
nearly a half, 45 percent, said they might change their minds by election day...
"If Rep. Harris had only one opponent she might be in deep trouble," - Her opponents are so poorly known
Jesus Lord, are they so desperate to find negatives that they resort to theoretical scenarios?
How about this for a headline?
Harris set to sweep aside her opponents in a walk away race, despite the hostility of the Press?
Then read this carefully:
McBride couldn't beat me in the general election.
And I mean that literally.
The liberal press smear campaign is unrelenting. The only thing more pathetic are otherwise reasonably intelligent conservatives who have bought it hook, line, and sinker.
When you got polling showing you are down 40 plus points, reality needs to set in.
Elitists living in their own special world of privilege. Blech!
But it may never. - So keep glued to the polls and the MSM. You will do just fine. They will tell you what to do.
In this forum, at least two obnoxious people have already offered substantial wagers that Harris will lose the election. With FRiends like that, who needs enemas?
It's not only on FR.....it our so called 'conservative' talk show hosts as well.
Boy I can only imagine how Howard Dean and the dimocrat party is handling this . I'm sure they think Kate facilitated Bushs' win in 2000 .
Ah yes--so I have heard.
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