Less than a week out from Florida’s primary elections, a new University of North Florida poll is spelling trouble for two Northeast Florida incumbents.
State Attorney Angela Corey is 30 points behind challenger Melissa Nelson.
When UNF pollsters called 604 likely Republican voters, more than half said they’re backing Melissa Nelson for state attorney.
READ: UNF Poll: Voters Increasingly Support Half-Cent Pension Tax
Likely voters were defined as those who voted in at least one of the two previous primaries and said they’d probably vote again this year.
Seven percent of respondents said they’re backing Wes White for state attorney, and 21 percent are undecided. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.
Nelson’s campaign has been well-funded since her late start, while Corey has been fending off national criticism — including a recent New York Times Magazine expose and a Harvard University study that concluded she’s “overzealous” in her use of the death penalty.
The UNF/Florida Times-Union poll also spells bad news for Public Defender Matt Shirk, who’s weathered ethics controversies since taking office. His opponent, former judge Charles Cofer, is leading 43 to 21 percent.
Reporter Ryan Benk can be reached at rbenk@wjct.org, 904-358-6319 or on Twitter @RyanMichaelBenk
