AT LEAST ONE POLL WHERE DAVIS - SMITH IS DEAD HEAT...BUT ONE FACT REMAINS CONSTANT

From The Buzz political blog at the St. Petersburg Times Thursday:

It seems that the Democratic race for governor has become tight, if you believe the latest poll conducted for the Florida Chamber of Commerce by the Virginia-based firm Schroth, Eldon, and Associates earlier in the week.

While previous polls have shown State Senator Rod Smith (D - Alachua) well behind Congressman Jim Davis (D - Tampa), this one has a difference of only one percent. In the survey of 600 "high frequency" Democrats taken June 4-6, Davis was the favourite of 22.5 percent, with Smith at 21.5. Still, more than half of the respondants --- 56 percent --- continue to be undecided.

A seperate poll of 800 "likely Republican primary voters" taken May 23-25 by a different firm (Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates) and released earlier shows Attorney General Charlie Crist with a sizable lead over primary opponent Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, 42-23 percent. The difference is the same (19 percent) between the two than was found with the previous Chamber poll in December with 35 percent undecided this time.

The primary is now less than three months away...time to begin paying some real attention.