FL-Gov: The conservative Associated Industries of Florida is out with a poll of the Aug. 28 Democratic primary that gives former Rep. Gwen Graham a 24-16 lead over former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. Billionaire developer Jeff Greene takes 13, while Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and businessman Chris King take 12 and 4, respectively. AIF tells us the poll was in the field July 16 through the 18th.
This poll is a bit better for Graham than a recent survey from St. Pete Polls that showed her tied 22-22 with Greene, while Levine was just behind at 19. However, a number of polls from the early spring and summer gave Levine the lead, and the contest seems to have shifted since Greene jumped in and began spending heavily.
According to Politico's Marc Caputo, Greene has spent $10.2 million on TV in just a month, and he has the personal wealth to spend a whole lot more. By contrast, Levine has spent $15 million over the last eight months, while Graham has deployed $4.7 million since early June. As Caputo also notes, it's more than just Greene's spending that could be causing Levine problems. Both candidates are wealthy Jewish men from South Florida, so they likely are competing for a similar group of voters.