FLORIDA: Crist Takes Lead In New Poll

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist had been in a dead heat with Gov. Rick Scott for months. Things are still very close, but there's some good news for the Crist campaign today. Via the Tampa Bay Times:

Crist's 6 percentage-point lead isn't so big because the likely-voter poll's error margin is 4.1 percent. But it ain't the topline, it's the trend to note. And for the past two weeks, the momentum has been for Crist: a net 9 percentage point shift since last week and, compared to the poll released Sept. 9, an 11-point shift. The movement in Crist's direction corresponds with Crist's increasing ad buys. Scott has been pumping more money into TV as well, but he hadn't been as closely answered as he is now. Overall, the poll track in the governor's race indicates one clear takeaway: the race is close and prone to minor shifts.

While in office as a Republican, Crist supported Florida's successful ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage. After jumping ship to the Democrats, he changed his tune. In August he issued an open letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding that she not appeal that month's slew of marriage rulings. That letter was ignored.