Crist makes pitch to Democrats as poll shows him leading Florida Senate race

Florida independent Gov. Charlie Crist made a pitch on Thursday to Democrats as a new poll showed him leading the state's three-way Senate race.

A Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows Crist leading Republican Marco Rubio and Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic candidate, if the election were held today.

Thirty-nine percent of Florida voters — including 45 percent of Democrats — said they would support Crist, compared to 32 percent who would back Rubio and 16 percent who would vote for Meek, the poll found.

Crist said Thursday that he was "comfortable" as an independent, but made an entreaty to Democrats during an appearance on the Bill Press Show, a liberal radio talk show.

Democrats should support his candidacy because "they want an honest broker in Washington," Crist said, saying he's proven that record during his time as state attorney general and governor.

"I think regardless of what your party is, we all want the same thing — we've just got a different idea about how to get there," he added.

He also emphasized that he had no regrets about supporting President Obama's stimulus bill in the state, a catalyst for the state's Republican voters turning away from his candidacy and toward Rubio's.

Crist is benefiting from high levels of support among Democrats, and the Quinnipiac poll showed he can still expect the same levels of support even if billionaire Jeff Greene succeeds in beating Meek in the primary. Fifty percent of independents in Florida said they'd vote for Crist, and 22 percent of Republicans said they would back Crist — a former Republican — over GOP candidate Rubio.

Crist isn't drifting entirely leftward, though: he said he still opposes gay marriage, and disagreed with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's handling of the state's court case on marriage.

The governor remained coy, though, about the party with which he'd caucus if he's elected to the Senate, saying that he would decide after he might be elected.

"I haven't made that determination," he said.

"I think what I would do is, if I have the honor of winning, is ask some very hard questions when I get there," he said. "Depending on the answers that I get … we'll make a decision."