Crist's approval rating hits new low

The sheen might be coming off of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R).

A new St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald poll Sunday showed Crist’s approval rating dropping to 42 percent, with 55 percent of voters now holding negative view of him.

The Times/Herald poll also showed Crist worse off than other pollsters last year, but his numbers have declined by around 10 points since that poll. These are his lowest numbers on record.

Crist’s approval rating has been consistently over 60 percent for much of the year, including in an October poll for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. A Quinnipiac poll in mid-October showed his approval rating was still at 59 percent.

In fact, Crist has had the distinction of staying popular while other governor’s succumbed to faltering economies.

He still holds a sizeable lead in his Senate primary with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, at 50-28. But Rubio has closed the gap in recent polling, and with Crist’s numbers taking a tumble, potential Rubio supports like the Club for Growth and former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) might finally weigh in on his behalf.

The poll showed 71 percent of Republicans would rather have Bush in charge, while just 22 percent preferred Crist. Bush has never gotten along with Crist, and it’s clear that has backing could sway plenty of voters toward Rubio.

Crist has been backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and has been the top fundraiser in the country over the last six months.