JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio holds a commanding 11-point lead over his Democrat challenger Val Demings, according to a new poll. The University of North Florida (UNF) released a new Public Opinion Research Lab poll on Wednesday morning that showed Rubio up 54 percent to 43 percent over Demings. Back in August, UNF polling indicated Demings led by 4 points.
Perhaps helped by a strong debate performance, Rubio has been on roll in recent weeks. The Siena College Research Institute showed Rubio with a seven-point lead in late September. Florida Atlantic University had him six points ahead last week. This week, a Mason-Dixon’s Telemundo/LX News poll revealed the Cuban-American holds a seven-point edge among Hispanic voters.
Rubio downplayed the previous UNF poll results in August during an interview with Fox and Friends. The veteran politician held a rally in Jacksonville on Tuesday night, saying that his biggest challenge is making sure conservatives show up to vote.
“I think it’s a challenge any candidate faces, which is to make sure your supporters turn out,” Rubio told News4Jax. “Sometimes people think ‘my vote doesn’t really matter,’ but it does.”
