The battle for Florida's Attorney General's office is heated race – a heated race on the campaign trail, but not as heated in News 13's exclusive Florida Decides Poll.
- Jump to:
Republican Pam Bondi is leading the race with 41 percent of likely voters saying they would vote for her, while Democrat George Sheldon is 10 points behind at 31 percent. Libertarian candidate Bill Wohlsifer is trailing a distant third, with 6 percent.
Bondi has taken a stand on issues ranging from pill mills to cyber-crime.
"We have been working very hard to protect our consumers and prevent identity theft and protect our seniors," said Bondi during an exclusive Attorney General debate on News 13 on Oct. 6.
She has also stood her ground on more controversial issues like opposing same sex marriage. Now she is fighting to keep her office as Florida's top legal official.
Still, you will not see much of the Attorney General candidates in TV ads, and News 13's legal analysts said that is why it will be up to voters to do a little digging to find which candidate fits their beliefs.
"There is so much more to both of these candidates that what you are seeing on TV and I do hope that folks look into it. They go on the internet and they talk to people," said News 13 Political Analyst Michelle Ertel (R).
Sheldon is a long time Florida politician. Serving under Attorney General Bob Butterworth back in 1999 and later credited with turning around Florida's Department of Children and Families. Sheldon has said he supports same sex marriage and it is time to stop fighting it in court.
"The attorney general ought to be the people's lawyer. Not the governor's lawyer. Not the legislature's lawyer," said Sheldon during News 13's Attorney General Debate.
News 13's Democratic political analyst, Jeremiah Jaspon, said Sheldon doesn't have the financial war chest available to flood the airwaves with commercials.
"The problem is that he is at such a great money disadvantage. He can't really get the message out to the voters. His only shot at this point of really winning this race is basically riding the coat tails of Charlie Crist," said Jaspon.
But Jaspon said Sheldon still has a shot: "If Charlie Crist has a good turnout, a guy like George Sheldon could come out of the woodwork to win this because there is only a 10 point differential at this point."
Taking into consideration the number of likely voters polled who said they did not know who they were going to vote for or refused to answer – there is a possible window of opportunity for Sheldon. Our Florida Decides poll shows 20 percent are still not sure who they will vote for in November.
"Sheldon has got to get the message out. There are enough don't knows that he could make it close," said Christopher McCarty, director of the UF Survey Research Center and director of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research. "They don't know him. He needs to be more aggressive."
Poll Results
This fall, Floridians will vote for the Florida Attorney General. If the election were being held today, for whom would you vote?
BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALL | 41% | 31% | 6% | 2% | 16% | 4% |
PARTY | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Democrats | 15% | 58% | 6% | 2% | 14% | 5% |
Republicans | 70% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 16% | 2% |
Other | 25% | 16% | 32% | . | . | 26% |
Independents | 35% | 29% | 8% | 3% | 19% | 7% |
MEDIA MARKET | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Fort Myers | 44% | 22% | 8% | . | 22% | 3% |
Jacksonville | 52% | 22% | 5% | . | 19% | 3% |
Miami | 23% | 46% | 6% | 5% | 15% | 6% |
Orlando | 46% | 30% | 3% | 2% | 16% | 3% |
Other | 45% | 21% | 10% | 1% | 14% | 8% |
Pensacola | 32% | 32% | 6% | . | 26% | 3% |
Tampa Bay | 48% | 31% | 7% | 2% | 7% | 5% |
West Palm Beach | 37% | 30% | 2% | 2% | 27% | 3% |
RACE | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Other | 27% | 32% | 9% | 1% | 17% | 13% |
Black | 5% | 68% | 9% | 2% | 12% | 4% |
White | 47% | 27% | 5% | 2% | 16% | 3% |
HISPANIC | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
No | 43% | 31% | 5% | 1% | 16% | 4% |
Yes | 32% | 33% | 8% | 8% | 16% | 3% |
Don't Know | 28% | 18% | 16% | . | 22% | 16% |
Refused Answer | 20% | 28% | 8% | . | 24% | 20% |
GEOGRAPHIC AREA | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
South | 38% | 35% | 6% | 3% | 14% | 4% |
North | 46% | 26% | 5% | 1% | 18% | 4% |
Don't Know/Refused | 54% | . | . | . | 23% | 23% |
AGE GROUP | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
18–24 | 31% | 30% | 9% | 2% | 25% | 2% |
25–34 | 27% | 36% | 11% | 2% | 16% | 8% |
35–44 | 34% | 35% | 8% | 5% | 14% | 5% |
45–59 | 38% | 31% | 6% | 4% | 16% | 5% |
60+ | 49% | 30% | 3% | . | 15% | 2% |
AGE GROUP II | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
18–60 | 34% | 32% | 8% | 3% | 17% | 5% |
61+ | 50% | 30% | 3% | . | 14% | 3% |
SEX | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Female | 37% | 34% | 3% | 2% | 19% | 5% |
Male | 46% | 28% | 8% | 2% | 12% | 3% |
HOUSEHOLD INCOME | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
> $150,000 | 42% | 29% | 7% | 2% | 17% | 3% |
$100,000 – $150,000 | 34% | 36% | 7% | 5% | 13% | 5% |
$60,000 – $100,000 | 46% | 33% | 5% | 1% | 13% | 3% |
$40,000 – $60,000 | 37% | 41% | 7% | 1% | 12% | 2% |
$20,000 – $40,000 | 46% | 32% | 4% | 2% | 13% | 3% |
< $20,000 | 29% | 40% | 6% | 4% | 14% | 7% |
Don't Know | 44% | 12% | . | . | 45% | . |
Refused Answer | 44% | 18% | 4% | 1% | 25% | 8% |
RELIGION | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Other | 37% | 35% | 3% | 4% | 12% | 8% |
No Affiliation | 27% | 42% | 8% | 4% | 17% | 2% |
Muslim | . | 100% | . | . | . | . |
Jewish | 21% | 56% | 4% | 3% | 17% | . |
Mormon | 100% | . | . | . | . | . |
Catholic | 42% | 28% | 5% | 1% | 19% | 5% |
Protestant | 53% | 25% | 5% | 1% | 13% | 3% |
Don't Know | . | 100% | . | . | . | . |
Refused Answer | 9% | 28% | 4% | . | 33% | 26% |
VOTING METHOD | BONDI (REP) |
SHELDON (DEM) |
WOHLSIFER (LIB) |
Other/Would Not Vote | Don't Know | Refused Answer |
Haven't Decided Yet | 25% | 36% | 10% | 3% | 21% | 4% |
Absentee Ballot | 43% | 32% | 7% | 1% | 12% | 4% |
Early Voting | 35% | 36% | 5% | 2% | 18% | 5% |
On Election Day | 47% | 28% | 4% | 2% | 16% | 4% |
Not Planning to Vote | 100% | . | . | . | . | . |
Don't Know | 18% | 68% | . | . | 14% | . |
Refused Answer | 62% | 38% | . | . | . | . |
About the Poll
The telephone survey of 781 registered Florida voters — all likely to vote in the November election — was conducted Oct. 7–12 for the Tampa Bay Times, Bay News 9 and News 13 by the University of Florida's Bob Graham Center for Public Service and Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
The poll, which included respondents using land lines and cell phones, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. Results were weighted by age, party registration and media market, thus allowing the results to mirror the distribution in the Florida Voter File.
NOTE: Figures may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.