From
OurSenate:
The GOP polling firm Strategic Vision releases its first Florida poll since late August:
What is your impression of Katherine Harris?
Unfavorable: 39%
Favorable: 36%
What is your impression of Bill Nelson?
Favorable: 41%
Unfavorable: 12%
And, of course, the matchup. Nelson has held steady since SV's August poll, Harris has lost 5 points:
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson: 48%
Republican Rep. Katherine Harris: 36%
This is of course a Republican poll, so Nelson is almost surely above 50%. Interesting that Floridians are so strongly divided over Rep. Harris, but while Nelson's favorables aren't amazing his unfavorables are remarkably low. More people have a strong opinion of Harris than they do of Nelson. That position, where a challenger is more controversial than an incumbent, is very rare and always bad news for a challenger, because it means the challenger must work hard to reform his/her image in the eyes of the voters. All I can say is, good luck Kate!
Keep up on the Senate races of 2006 (as well as other Senate news) at OurSenate