Sen. Nelson retains edge on Rep. Mack in Florida Senate race

Incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is maintaning a steady lead over his Republican challenger, Rep. Connie Mack in the race for Senate in Florida.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll found that Nelson leads Mack among likely voters 47 percent to 40. Five percent of those polled prefer another candidate, with another eight percent still undecided.

Those results show that Nelson has been able to hold onto his lead in the hotly contested Senate race. The last time Rasmussen polled on the race in mid-August, Nelson enjoyed the exact same margin.

One reason for Nelson's edge is his high likeability numbers. According to the poll, 51 percent of Florida voters view him favorably, with 21 percent giving him a very favorable rating. Just 38 percent view him unfavorably, with 20 percent seeing him as very unfavorable.

On the other side of the ticket, only 40 percent of voters give Mack a favorable rating, while 48 percent see him as unfavorable. Just 17 percent see him as very favorable, while 24 percent see him as very unfavorable.

On likeability, Rasmussen said the results from the latest poll are little changed from the mid-August version.

Another key edge for Nelson is his advantage with female voters. The two candidates are neck-and neck when it comes to male support, but Nelson has a 13-point margin when it comes to female voters, 47 percent compared to Mack's 34.

Nelson also has stronger party support, as 82 percent of Florida Democrats back Nelson, compared to 76 percent of Florida Republicans who support Mack. When voters do not identify with a particular political party, Nelson again is in front, 45 percent to 31.

The telephone survey reached 500 likely voters in Florida, and was conducted on Sept. 12.

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