The Florida governor's race — the nation's most expensive political contest — is now a dead heat.
A new Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday showed Democrat Charlie Crist and incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott both earning 42 percent, in a survey of likely voters,
Politico reported.
Both Scott and Crist struggle with voters over favorability, Politico noted of their battle. The latest Quinnipiac survey found Crist's favorability rating at 42 while 47 percent see him as unfavorable. Scott earned 40 percent favorability while 48 percent view him unfavorably.
"The Florida governor's race challenges the idea that voters won't vote for a candidate they don't like," Quinnipiac's Assistant Polling Director Peter A. Brown told the Tampa Bay Times. "In the Sunshine State this year, voters definitely are voting for the lesser of two evils."
A previous
Quinnipiac poll in September had Scott up by two points, but Crist has closed the gap in a contentious and expensive battle that has seen plenty of back and forth ads that at least one political science professor says has left voters confused.
"If you're a person who doesn't really follow politics 24/7, you're having a very difficult time figuring which of these is telling the truth," University of South Florida Professor Susan MacManus told NPR of the battle. "We have had more negative ads, longer. It's been almost non-stop."
During a final debate on Tuesday, the candidates went after each other personally, mixing it up over who enjoyed an early life of wealth and privilege and who came from meager roots,
the Washington Post noted.
Scott's estimated net worth is about $132 million while Crist's is $1.2 million, the Post noted.
As the contest goes down to the wire, Scott has pledged to dump his own money into his campaign, the
Tampa Bay Times reported. He spent $75.1 million during his 2010 election bid, the paper said.
Thus far, Scott has outspent Crist on TV ads, $56.5 million to $26.5 million, the Times noted.
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