Florida Gov. Rick Scott, R., leads Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., by 4 percentage points in a new poll released Wednesday.
Exactly one month after announcing his bid at an Orlando rally, Scott is leading 44 percent to Nelson’s 40 percent, according to Florida Atlantic University’s Survey.
Although Scott leads in the poll, among voters who are “very likely” to vote in the upcoming election, the candidates are tied at 45 percent.
The poll also finds President Trump’s approval rating at 43 percent — his highest in Florida since taking office.
Republicans are hopeful they can pick up the Senate seat, uplifted by Trump’s Florida numbers continuing to outpace his national numbers, and Scott’s improving approval ratings.
The Florida Senate race is expected to be one of the most expensive in history. Scott has already spent $5 million on television ads, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Nelson has reportedly raised $3.2 million in the first quarter of 2018, one of the biggest of his career and has nearly $10 million cash on hand.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters, was conducted between May 4- 7. It has a margin error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
