Being an “outsider” - and worth a whole lot of money - seems to be paying off for the candidates in Florida’s high profile primary races.
According to a Quinnipiac poll released this morning, notable rich guys Rick Scott and Jeff Greene have taken considerable leads in their respective races.
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Scott is maintaning a lead he’s held steadily over State Attorney General Bill Mccollum since June. Scott entered the race in April as a virtual political unknown, but he’s put millions of dollars into his own campaign and ads - and today’s poll puts him at an eleven-point lead.
According to his own financial disclosure statement, the former hospital executive is worth more than $218 million.
The race for the democratic U.S. Senate nomination is taking a similar turn. Today’s poll shows entepreneur Jeff Greene holding 33 percent of the vote, with Kendrick Meek ten points behind at 23 percent. Greene, who made his money betting on a failing real estate market, has unleashed a barrage of ads on the airwaves. Meek just put out his first ad a few days ago.
Greene's disclosure statement reports his worth at about $2.8 billion.
Both of these wealthy men – who don’t have backgrounds in public office - have spent millions on their campaigns, and they haven’t even entered the general election.
Primary day is August 24th.
