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 County results Congressional district results Precinct resultsRubio: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Crist: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Meek: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 30–40% 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Florida House of Representatives U.S. Senator from Florida U.S. Secretary of State | ||
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The2010 United States Senate election in Florida took place on November 2, 2010, concurrently with other elections to theUnited States Senate in other states, as well as elections to theUnited States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
IncumbentRepublican SenatorMel Martínez, who was elected in a very close race againstDemocratBetty Castor with 49% of the vote in2004, did not seek re-election to a second term,[1] and stated on August 7, 2009, that he would resign prior to the end of his term.[2] As his successor, thegovernor of Florida, RepublicanCharlie Crist, appointed his former chief of staff,George LeMieux. LeMieux, who replaced Martínez in the Senate on September 10, 2009, was aplaceholder and did not seek election, as Crist aimed at the seat himself. This was one of the five Republican-held Senate seats up for election in a state thatBarack Obama won in the2008 presidential election.
Crist publicly launched his campaign for the seat in mid-2009. When he declared his candidacy, he received many Republican endorsements, including theNational Republican Senatorial Committee, Martínez, and 2008 Republican presidential nomineeJohn McCain. However, his support of theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 hurt his popularity among conservatives, andTea Party candidateMarco Rubio, the formerSpeaker of theFlorida House of Representatives, surged in the polls. In April 2010, Crist dropped out of the Republican primary and ran as an Independent. The National Republican Senatorial Committee withdrew its endorsement of Crist and demanded a refund of its campaign funds that it provided for the Crist campaign.[3][4][5] Rubio went on to win the Republican primary against only token opposition.
U.S. RepresentativeKendrick Meek was the first Democrat to declare his intention to run and he defeated billionaire businessmanJeff Greene in his party's primary. Also on the ballot were Alexander Snitker of theLibertarian Party,[6] Bernie DeCastro of theConstitution Party, and five other independent candidates.
Polling initially showed Crist neck and neck with Rubio, but by the end of August, Rubio opened up a solid and consistent lead. He was supported by Republican and some Independent voters whereas Democratic and other Independent voters were split between Crist and Meek. Rubio went on to win the election with 49% of the vote to Crist's 30% and Meek's 20%.
RepublicanMel Martínez, the formerUnited States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was elected to the Senatein 2004, defeating DemocratBetty Castor, the former president of theUniversity of South Florida and formerFlorida Education Commissioner, by 82,663 votes, 49.4% to 48.3%. He succeeded retiring Democratic incumbentBob Graham.
Throughout 2008, opinion polls found that Martínez was consistently unpopular with a plurality of Florida voters.Public Policy Polling surveys taken in June, July/August, and September 2008 found that his job approval rating was 23%, 24% and 23%, respectively, with 43%, 40% and 37%, respectively, disapproving of his job performance.[7][8][9] AQuinnipiac University Polling Institute survey in November 2008 found him with a higher job approval rating, with 42% approving of his job performance, 33% disapproving and 25% unsure. However, the same survey also found that only 36% of Florida voters thought he deserved to be re-elected, compared to 38% who did not and 26% who were unsure. 36% also said that if the 2010 election were held on that day, they would vote for Martínez, while 40% said they would vote for his Democratic opponent, with 24% unsure. Furthermore, his personal approval rating was 31%, with 28% having an unfavourable opinion of him and 40% saying they had no opinion of him.[10]
In head-to-head matches against specific Democratic opponents, the same Public Policy Polling surveys found Martínez tied with U.S. RepresentativeRobert Wexler and trailingChief Financial Officer of FloridaAlex Sink, former senator Bob Graham, U.S. RepresentativeDebbie Wasserman Schultz, U.S. RepresentativeAllen Boyd and U.S. RepresentativeRon Klein, by margins of between 1 and 20 points. In its November 2008 ratings of the 2010 Senate elections,The Cook Political Report rated the Florida race as a "tossup"[11] and various media outlets identified Martínez as one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators.[12][13][14][15]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Allen Boyd (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[16] | September 6–7, 2008 | 986 LV | ± 3.1% | 33% | 37% | — | 30% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Bob Graham (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[17] | July 30 – August 2, 2008 | 807 LV | ± 3.5% | 31% | 51% | — | 18% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Ron Klein (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[16] | September 6–7, 2008 | 986 LV | ± 3.1% | 33% | 37% | — | 30% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Alex Sink (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[18] | June 26–29, 2008 | 723 LV | ± 3.6% | 31% | 37% | — | 32% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[17] | July 30 – August 2, 2008 | 807 LV | ± 3.5% | 37% | 38% | — | 25% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mel Martínez (R) | Robert Wexler (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[18] | June 26–29, 2008 | 723 LV | ± 3.6% | 33% | 33% | — | 34% |
Martínez was reported to be planning to run for re-election, but was not expected to make an official statement until January 2009.[19] On December 1, Alex Sink declared that she would run forre-election as Chief Financial Officer rather than for the Senate.[12] The following day, Martínez stated that he would not seek re-election, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family.[20]
Upon Senator Martínez's not seeking re-election, early speculation surrounded formerGovernorJeb Bush.[21] It was thought that if Bush decided to run, other potential Republican candidates would allow Bush to run uncontested. After consideration,[22] Bush decided not to run.[23] Other potential candidates includedFlorida Attorney GeneralBill McCollum, formerSpeaker of theFlorida House of RepresentativesMarco Rubio,Florida Senate PresidentJeff Atwater, Florida House Majority LeaderAdam Hasner,Orange County MayorRich Crotty and U.S. RepresentativesVern Buchanan,Lincoln Díaz-Balart,Mario Díaz-Balart,Connie Mack IV andAdam Putnam.[13][20][22][23][24]Florida GovernorCharlie Crist was initially not thought likely to run, instead preferring to run for re-election.[25] Mack and Rubio were thought the most likely to run, with both preparing their campaigns behind the scenes.[26][27]
On January 28, 2009, McCollum decided not to seek a Senate seat.[28] On February 9,Joe Scarborough, a cable news host forMSNBC and former U.S. Representative from Florida, told theSarasota Herald-Tribune that he may run for office again, and was considering running for the Senate.[29] An MSNBC spokesman refuted the idea that Scarborough might run[30] and the following day, Scarborough, while interviewingWhite House Press SecretaryRobert Gibbs, dismissed the idea that he would run.[31]
In early February, speculation increased that Charlie Crist was considering running and that Martínez, who had previously pledged to serve out the rest of his term, would resign. The possibility of Crist appointing himself to the Senate was ruled out byJim Greer, the chairman of theRepublican Party of Florida, but it was further speculated that Crist could also resign, allowing his RepublicanLieutenant Governor,Jeff Kottkamp, to appoint Crist to the Senate.[32][33] The race was essentially "frozen" as potential candidates waited for Crist to declare his intentions[34][35] and almost immediately, he began to receive criticism from the right of the Republican Party. This dissatisfaction, which had begun soon after he was elected, "snowballed" when he began considering running for the Senate, centring on his perceived moderate positions, his environmental policies, his appointment ofJames E. C. Perry to theSupreme Court of Florida when conservatives favoured another candidate, his willingness to givePresident Obama "a shot", and his support of theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[35][36][37][38]
On March 5, Rubio formed an exploratory committee to run for the Senate, though Rubio said that he would run for governor instead if Crist ran for the Senate, with Crist saying that he would make a decision at the end of the legislative session in May.[39][40] However, towards the end of March, Rubio began openly criticizing Crist for his support of the stimulus and expanded gambling.[41][42]
In early April,Politico reported that Rubio was likely to stay in the Senate race even if Crist ran, following disapproval of Crist from the party's base. AMason-Dixon poll from March/April found that only 23% of Republicans would "definitely" vote for Crist, compared to 18% who would "definitely not".[34] During the first fundraising quarter, Rubio raised a "solid" $250,000[43] and confirmed that he would likely continue his campaign, regardless of what Crist did.[44] On April 2, Mack stated that he would not be a candidate, telling Crist: "I will be your strongest supporter and champion - regardless of whether you seek re-election or election to the Senate."[45] An article inThe Tampa Tribune reported on the growing opposition to Crist, which quoted, among others, former state representativeDennis K. Baxley, who said that the disappointment with Crist was "the kind of disappointment that's going to have people looking in other directions for leaders... the conservative movement needs a strong leader." FormerPinellas County Republican Party Chairman Tony DiMatteo said that Crist was more likely to receive a primary challenge to if he ran for the Senate because: "In Tallahassee, there's a conservative Republican Legislature to balance the governor... A lot of people around the state feel the same way I do. We didn't leave Charlie; Charlie left us." Conversely, Republican consultant Adam Goodman said: "He's looked upon as such a popular and compelling figure that the sky's the limit. There are always going to be people to his right and to his left both in the party and in general. As long as he maintains his anti-tax platform, he'll be fine." Political scientist Darryl Paulson said that "Given Crist's ability to raise substantial amounts of money and his appeal to crossovers and independents, I couldn't name anybody who would have even a reasonable shot at defeating him in a primary."[38]
A surprise entry into the race came on April 9, when former New Hampshire senatorBob Smith entered the race. Smith, who had lost his seat in New Hampshire in 2002, subsequently moved to Florida, and briefly ran for the Senate in 2004.[46][47] He formally declared his candidacy on June 8.[48] At the end of April, with Crist's decision nearing, he was reported to be a "near-lock" to run for the Senate[49] and, in the wake of moderate Republican senatorArlen Specter of Pennsylvania's switch to the Democrats, speculation began about whether there was "room" in the party for a moderate like Crist.[50]
TheNational Republican Senatorial Committee endorsedCharlie Crist.[51]
After widespread speculation that he would resign before the end of his term,[52] Martínez stated that he would do so on August 7, 2009, leaving Crist in the position to appoint a replacement. He requested applications from U.S. RepresentativeLincoln Díaz-Balart, attorney Bob Martínez (no relation to Mel Martínez or former governorBob Martinez) and formerFlorida Attorney General andSecretary of State of FloridaJames C. Smith. Appointing Díaz-Balart would create a special election for his then-open House seat and it was suggested that this would prove to be a "tempting proposition" for Rubio, who would then drop down to run for the House instead.[53][54] Rubio's campaign dismissed speculation he would do anything other than run for the Senate and Crist appointed his chief of staff,George LeMieux, to the Senate instead. Democrat Kendrick Meek expressed disappointment, asserting that Crist should have appointed someone qualified rather than one of the top names "in his cell phone." The Democratic Party of Florida issued an email the same day titled, "George LeMieux (R-Cronyism)", echoing the disapproval of Crist's choice, who was theDeputy Attorney General under Crist, and his chief of staff. In December, Lincoln Díaz-Balart and his brotherMario, also a U.S. Representative, withdrew their endorsements of Crist. They declined to reveal the reason why, saying that "the governor knows why we withdrew and he left us with no alternative", although it was suggested that Crist's appointment of LeMieux and his passing over of a prosecutor that Lincoln Díaz-Balart had recommended for a county judgeship in North Florida were the reasons.[55]
Former New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith, who had barely featured in opinion polls, withdrew from the race on March 30, 2010, citing poor fundraising.[56][57]
After being behind in the polls, Rubio began to cut into Crist's lead, mostly as a reaction to Crist's support ofthe stimulus bill, which Rubio opposed.[58] Crist subsequently fell behind Rubio by over 20 points. On April 16, Crist's campaign manager, Connie Mack IV, resigned. Ostensibly as a reaction to Crist's veto of a controversial education bill that tied teacher's pay to their students' test scores, Crist's increasingly poor showing in the polls was widely speculated to have been a factor in Mack's decision.[59] Speculation began that Crist would drop out of the Republican primary and run as anIndependent before April 30, the Florida filing deadline. Polling showed that although Crist was trailing Rubio considerably in the Republican primary, were he to run as an independent, the three-way race would become more competitive; Rubio was currently leading Meek and Crist in aggregate three-way polling as of June 2010.[60]
On April 28, Crist campaign officials confirmed that Crist would be running as an independent and planned to drop out of the Republican primary.[61][62]
The primary was held on August 24, 2010.[63] Running virtually unopposed, Rubio won with almost 85% of the vote.
These candidates formally qualified to appear on the Florida Republican primary ballot.[64]
All made while Crist was running as a Republican
State/local level positions (State Senators, Governors, etc.)
Federal level positions (President, U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, cabinet members, etc.)
Other
All made while Crist was running as an IndependentState/local level positions (U.S. Representatives, Governors, State Representatives, etc.)
State/local level positions (State Senators, Governors, etc.)
Federal level positions (President, U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, cabinet members, etc.)
Other
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Charlie Crist | Marco Rubio | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac University[103] | April 8–13, 2010 | 497 | ± 4.4% | 33% | 56% | 1% | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports[104] | April 8, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 28% | 57% | 3% | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports[105] | March 18, 2010 | 494 | ± 4.5% | 34% | 56% | 1% | 8% |
| The Florida Times Union[106] | March 9, 2010 | 512 | ± 4.0% | 26% | 60% | 4% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[107] | March 5–8, 2010 | 492 | ± 4.4% | 28% | 60% | –– | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports[108] | February 18, 2010 | 442 | ± 5.0% | 36% | 54% | 4% | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports[109] | January 27, 2010 | 449 | ± 5.0% | 37% | 49% | 3% | 11% |
| Quinnipiac University[110] | January 26, 2010 | 673 | ± 3.8% | 44% | 47% | –– | 8% |
| Rasmussen Reports[111] | December 14, 2009 | 431 | ± 5.0% | 43% | 43% | 5% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[112] | October 20, 2009 | 466 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 35% | 4% | 12% |
| Quinnipiac University[113] | October 12–18, 2009 | 396 | ± 4.9% | 50% | 35% | 1% | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports[114] | August 19, 2009 | 470 | ± 5.0% | 53% | 31% | 5% | 11% |
| Quinnipiac University[115] | August 12–17, 2009 | 446 | ± 4.6% | 55% | 26% | 1% | 18% |
| Quinnipiac University[116] | June 2–7, 2009 | 486 | ± 4.5% | 54% | 23% | 1% | 21% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Allan Bense | Vern Buchanan | Charlie Crist | Connie Mack IV | Bill McCollum | Marco Rubio | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[117] | April 6–13, 2009 | 570 | ± 4.1% | 2% | 8% | 54% | — | — | 8% | 2% | 27% |
| 3% | 16% | — | — | — | 11% | 2% | 68% | ||||
| Quinnipiac[118] | February 11–16, 2009 | 433 | ± 4.7% | 2% | 5% | 53% | 13% | — | 3% | 2% | 22% |
| 4% | 11% | — | 34% | — | 6% | 2% | 43% | ||||
| Quinnipiac[119] | January 14–19, 2009 | 522 | ± 4.3% | 2% | 10% | — | 21% | 22% | 6% | — | 40% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marco Rubio | 1,069,936 | 84.62% | |
| Republican | William Kogut | 112,080 | 8.86% | |
| Republican | William Escoffery | 82,426 | 6.52% | |
| Total votes | 1,264,442 | 100.0% | ||
Many Democratic politicians were mentioned as potential candidates for the race, including U.S. RepresentativesAllen Boyd,Kathy Castor,Ron Klein,Kendrick Meek,Debbie Wasserman Schultz andRobert Wexler, State SenatorsDave Aronberg andDan Gelber andMayor ofOrlandoBuddy Dyer.[20][25] Alex Sink also reconsidered her decision not to run.[26] Wasserman Schultz and Wexler stated in December 2008 that they would not run for the Senate.[24][25]
Meek was the first major candidate of either party to declare his candidacy, on January 13, 2009.[122] After "serious and careful thought", three days later, Sink reiterated her decision not to seek a Senate seat.[123] Following her decision, Dan Gelber said that he "had been really waiting for her" and had been "prepared to fully support [her]." He also said that "I expect I'll be entering the race in the coming weeks."[124] On January 27, he declared his candidacy.[125] The following day, Allen Boyd also declined to run.[28] In March, it was reported that while Gelber was "consumed" with the legislative session, Meek was raising money and collecting endorsements, including from former presidentBill Clinton. Gelber replied, "Frankly the practicality is, it's just hard to find hours in the day to make phone calls right now."[126] At the end of the first fundraising quarter, Meek reported raising $1.5 million.[127] He also decided to gain ballot access via petitions, rather than paying the standard filing fee. He said that collecting the required 100,000 petitions would "keep me engaged with the people of Florida".[40]
CongressmanKendrick Meek was the first Democrat to declare his intention to run.[128] UponChief Financial OfficerAlex Sink's decision to run for governor,[129] State SenatorDan Gelber formed anexploratory committee.[130] However, Gelber ultimately decided not to run, so as to avoid a divisive primary. Congressman Meek enlisted the aid of formerPresidentBill Clinton, who hosted a fundraiser for him inJacksonville.[131] Term limited North Miami mayorKevin Burns, also declared himself a candidate for the Senate seat.[132] On April 30, 2010, Palm Beach billionaireJeff Greene declared his candicacy.[citation needed]
The primary took place on August 24, 2010.[63]
These candidates formally qualified to appear on the Florida Democratic primary ballot.[64]
Organizations
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Glenn Burkett | Maurice Ferré | Jeff Greene | Kendrick Meek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[141] | August 21–22, 2010 | –– | 3% | 29% | 39% |
| Public Policy Polling[142] | August 21–22, 2010 | –– | 4% | 27% | 51% |
| Mason-Dixon[143] | August 17–19, 2010 | –– | 5% | 30% | 42% |
| Quinnipiac[144] | August 11–16, 2010 | –– | 6% | 28% | 35% |
| Ipsos/Florida Newspapers[145] | August 6–10, 2010 | –– | 4% | 35% | 31% |
| Mason Dixon[146] | August 2–4, 2010 | –– | –– | 29% | 33% |
| Quinnipiac[147] | July 22–27, 2010 | –– | 4% | 33% | 23% |
| Public Policy Polling[148] | July 16–18, 2010 | 4% | 6% | 25% | 28% |
| Quinnipiac[149] | June 2–8, 2010 | –– | 3% | 27% | 29% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Allen Boyd | Dan Gelber | Pam Iorio | Ron Klein | Kendrick Meek | Alex Sink | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[117] | April 6–13, 2009 | 474 | ± 4.5% | — | 5% | 15 | 8% | 16% | — | — | 55% |
| Quinnipiac[118] | February 11–16, 2009 | 367 | ± 5.1% | — | 5% | 16% | 14% | 16% | — | 2% | 47% |
| Research 2000[150] | January 26–28, 2009 | 400 | ± 5% | 8% | 3% | — | — | 17% | — | — | 72% |
| Quinnipiac[119] | January 14–19, 2009 | 442 | ± 4.7% | 8% | 1% | — | 9% | 13% | 15%[151] | — | 54% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kendrick Meek | 528,266 | 57.53% | |
| Democratic | Jeff Greene | 284,948 | 31.03% | |
| Democratic | Glenn Burkett | 59,840 | 6.52% | |
| Democratic | Maurice Ferré | 45,219 | 4.92% | |
| Total votes | 918,273 | 100.0% | ||
These candidates have gotten at least 5% in pre-election polling
Qualified either by paying filing fee or with the 112,446 signatures to appear on ballot.
These candidates have qualified for the general election aswrite-in candidates.[64]
Charlie Crist argued "If you want somebody on the far right, you get Marco Rubio. If you want someone on the far left, you have Kendrick Meek. If you want someone who will fight for you and apply common sense, you have me."[154][155] Meek argued "Marco Rubio has always been the Tea Party candidate and yesterday Charlie Crist says he wants to crash the Tea Party, too. I'm the only candidate who's fighting for the middle class."[156] Rubio argued "If you like 'Obamacare,' if you like the stimulus plan, you can vote for Charlie Crist or Kendrick Meek."[157]
It was reported that formerPresidentBill Clinton attempted to convince Meek to drop out of the race in October while they campaigned together, as Meek and Crist appeared to be splitting the Democratic vote, allowing Rubio to win.[158] Meek denied the report.[159]
In the final week of the campaign, an advisor confirmed that Crist would caucus with the Democrats if elected to the Senate.[160]
Friday, September 17WLTV-Univision 23 DebateMiami, FL
Tuesday, September 28WTVT-FOX 13 Tampa Bay DebateTampa, FL
Wednesday, October 6ABC News, WFTV-ABC 9 Orlando & WFTS-ABC 28 TampaModerated byGeorge Stephanopoulos and two local media panelistsOrlando, FL
Wednesday, October 20Leadership Florida DebateFt. Lauderdale, FL
Sunday, October 24CNN/St. Petersburg Times DebateModerated by Candy CrowleyTampa, FL
Tuesday, October 26NBC News & WESH-NBC 2 Orlando DebateModerated by David GregoryOrlando, FL
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report[161] | Solid R | October 26, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[162] | Safe R | October 22, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics[163] | Likely R | October 26, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[164] | Safe R | October 21, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[165] | Likely R | October 26, 2010 |
Graphical summary
 | This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension. |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Margin of error | Charlie Crist (I) | Marco Rubio (R) | Kendrick Meek (D) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[166] | October 30–31, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 30% | 47% | 21% |
| Sunshine State News/VSS[167] | October 30–31, 2010 | ± 2.49% | 31% | 48% | 20% |
| Quinnipiac University[168] | October 25–31, 2010 | ± 3.2% | 31% | 45% | 18% |
| Rasmussen Reports[169] | October 27, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 30% | 50% | 16% |
| Sunshine State News/VSS[170] | October 26–27, 2010 | ± 2.47% | 27% | 47% | 23% |
| Mason-Dixon[171] | October 25–27, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 28% | 45% | 21% |
| Quinnipiac University[172] | October 18–24, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 35% | 42% | 15% |
| Zogby[173] | October 18–21, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 33% | 40% | 18% |
| St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9[174] | October 15–19, 2010 | ± 4.1% | 26% | 41% | 20% |
| CNN/Time/Opinion Research[175] | October 15–19, 2010 | ± 2.5% | 32% | 46% | 20% |
| Rasmussen Reports[176] | October 18, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 32% | 43% | 20% |
| Suffolk University[177] | October 14–17, 2010 | ± 4.4% | 31% | 39% | 22% |
| Public Policy Polling[178] | October 9–10, 2010 | ± 4.6% | 33% | 44% | 21% |
| Sunshine State News/VSS[179] | October 6–10, 2010 | ± 4.6% | 33% | 44% | 21% |
| Quinnipiac University[180] | October 6–10, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 29% | 45% | 22% |
| Rasmussen Reports[176] | October 7, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 25% | 50% | 19% |
| Mason Dixon[181] | October 4–6, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 27% | 42% | 21% |
| Public Opinion Strategies[182] | September 27–30, 2010 | ± 3.46% | 33% | 40% | 16% |
| Quinnipiac University[183] | September 30, 2010 | ± 2.9% | 33% | 46% | 18% |
| CNN/Time[184] | September 30, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 31% | 42% | 23% |
| TCpalm.com/Zogby[185] | September 27–29, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 33% | 39% | 18% |
| Rasmussen Reports[176] | September 28, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 30% | 41% | 21% |
| RCP Average[186] | September 21–22, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 29% | 40% | 22% |
| Mason-Dixon[187] | September 14, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 28% | 40% | 23% |
| Rasmussen Reports[176] | September 14, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 30% | 41% | 23% |
| Reuters/Ipsos[188] | September 10–12, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 26% | 40% | 21% |
| FOX News[189] | September 11, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 27% | 43% | 21% |
| Sunshine State News[190] | September 1–7, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 29% | 43% | 23% |
| CNN[191] | September 2–7, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 34% | 36% | 24% |
| Rasmussen Reports[192] | August 25, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 30% | 40% | 21% |
| Public Policy Polling[193] | August 21–22, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 32% | 40% | 17% |
| Quinnipiac[194] | August 11–16, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 39% | 32% | 16% |
| Mason Dixon[195] | August 9–11, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 33% | 38% | 18% |
| Ipsos/Florida Newspapers[145] | August 6–10, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 33% | 29% | 17% |
| Rasmussen Reports[176] | August 9, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 33% | 38% | 21% |
| McLaughlin & Associates[196] | July 31 – August 1, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 38% | 36% | 16% |
| The Florida Poll/NY Times[197] | July 24–28, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 30% | 12% |
| Quinnipiac[198] | July 22–27, 2010 | ± 3.2% | 39% | 33% | 13% |
| Rasmussen Reports[199] | July 21, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 33% | 35% | 20% |
| Public Policy Polling[200] | July 16–18, 2010 | ± 3.26% | 38% | 29% | 13% |
| Ipsos/Reuters[201] | July 9–11, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 34% | 29% | 18% |
| Rasmussen Reports[202] | July 6, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 34% | 36% | 15% |
| Florida Chamber of Commerce[203] | June 9–13, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 42% | 31% | 14% |
| Quinnipiac[204] | June 1–7, 2010 | ± 4.7% | 40% | 33% | 14% |
| Rasmussen Reports[205] | June 7, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 37% | 37% | 15% |
| St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9[206] | May 14–18, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 30% | 27% | 15% |
| Rasmussen Reports[207] | May 16, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 31% | 39% | 18% |
| Rasmussen Reports[208] | May 3, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 38% | 34% | 17% |
| McLaughlin & Associates[209] | April 24–25, 2010 | –– | 33% | 29% | 15% |
| Rasmussen Reports[210] | April 21, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 30% | 37% | 22% |
| Quinnipiac[211] | April 8–13, 2010 | ± 4.4% | 32% | 30% | 24% |
| Rasmussen Reports[212] | March 18, 2010 | –– | 22% | 42% | 25% |
| Public Policy Polling[213] | March 5–8, 2010 | ± 3.4% | 27% | 34% | 25% |
| Miami Herald[214] | January 31, 2010 | ± 3.46% | 26% | 31% | 24% |
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Rubio (R) | $21,231,831 | $21,024,726 | $207,105 | $938,803 |
| Charlie Crist (NPA) | $13,655,044 | $13,504,327 | $150,715 | $42,271 |
| Kendrick Meek (D) | $8,704,516 | $8,083,976 | $63,628 | $96,507 |
| Alexander Snitker (L) | $42,014 | $37,500 | $5,008 | $0 |
| Bernie DeCastro (C) | $51,886 | $18,596 | $33,270 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[215] | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marco Antonio Rubio | 2,645,743 | 48.89% | −0.54% | |
| Independent | Charles Joseph Crist Jr. | 1,607,549 | 29.71% | +29.71% | |
| Democratic | Kendrick Brett Meek | 1,092,936 | 20.20% | −28.12% | |
| Libertarian | Alexander Snitker | 24,850 | 0.46% | N/A | |
| Independent | Sue Askeland | 15,340 | 0.28% | N/A | |
| Independent | Rick Tyler | 7,394 | 0.14% | N/A | |
| Constitution | Bernie DeCastro | 4,792 | 0.09% | N/A | |
| Independent | Lewis Jerome Armstrong | 4,443 | 0.08% | N/A | |
| Independent | Bobbie Bean | 4,301 | 0.08% | N/A | |
| Independent | Bruce Riggs | 3,647 | 0.07% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 108 | 0.00% | ±0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 5,411,106 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
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