Gov. Charlie Crist has a commanding lead in the Florida Senate Republican primary, according to a new Strategic Vision (R) poll.
Crist leads Florida State House Speaker Marco Rubio 59%-22%.
Crist also runs stronger against hypothetical general election candidates. If the election were held today, he would top Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) 59%-29%, while Rubio runs more or less even, leading 31%-30% against Meek.
Conservative bloggers and activists have lined up behind Rubio, complaining that Crist is a moderate who has raised taxes. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has officially backed Crist, believing him to be the more electable candidates.