Poll: Nelson and Scott tied in Florida Senate race

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is locked in a tight battle for reelection against Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters found both candidates at 49 percent, with Nelson holding a 13 point advantage over his Republican opponent among independent voters — 56 percent to 43 percent.

{mosads}The survey also showed 92 percent support for Scott among GOP voters, compared with 89 percent backing for Nelson among Democrats.

Scott’s 51 percent approval rating as governor could be an advantage for him heading into the November midterms, though 46 percent of those polled said they disapprove of his performance in office.

Forty-nine percent of survey respondents said they approve of Nelson’s job performance, putting him 5 points above Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is not up for reelection this year.

Nelson’s seat is seen as a potential pickup for Republicans in their effort to retain or even expand their majority in the Senate. Democrats, meanwhile, need to defend several Senate seats in states, like Florida, where President Trump won in 2016.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 785 likely voters in Florida from Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 and has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.