Rick Scott Seizes Lead over Pro-Abort Emily’s List Challenger in Florida Governor’s Race

Pro-life and Tea Party-backed candidate Rick Scott has now pulled ahead of his pro-abortion challenger Alex Sink in the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial contest.

A new Sunshine State News Poll now has Scott, a Republican, as “favored to win” on November’s election day against Sink, the Democrat nominee. While that poll shows Scott leading with 44 percent of the vote to Sink’s 42 percent, and 14 percent undecided, which is all within the poll’s 3 percent margin of error, Sunshine State News reports the pro-life GOPer has solidified a lead in key voting groups.

Jim Lee, president of Voter Survey Service, which conducted the poll, told the Sunshine State News that Scott possesses a decisive edge over Sink, with a three-point advantage among those most likely to vote, and a four point advantage among those who voted in the ‘08 and ‘06 general elections.

However Lee said Sink would take the lead if she can capture all those one-time voters that turned out for President Obama in 2008.

“These (presidential-cycle voters) are the key to Sink if she can gin up turnout. No small task,” Lee told the news agency.

However the prevailing political winds in Florida are not favorable to President Obama, as 56 percent of Floridians disapprove of his job performance, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Friday. Independents in the state have run away from Obama, and more independents (46 percent) have lined up in support Scott over Sink (40 percent). That Quinnipiac poll, conducted September 23-28, shows Scott leading Sink 49 to 43 percent.

A Rasmussen Reports poll of 750 likely voters, conducted on September 30, adds to the evidence of the election trending toward the pro-life Scott. In that poll, Scott wins 46 percent of likely voters, with Sink winning only 41 percent.

Sink’s campaign is supported by the pro-abortion Emily’s List, a political action committee (PAC) dedicated to putting pro-abortion women into public office.

Emily’s List has denounced Scott as “extremely anti-choice,” citing his opposition to Roe v. Wade, and his support for a bill vetoed in June by Gov. Charlie Crist that would have required an ultrasound to be performed on abortion-bound women.

The ultrasound bill was seen as a key step forward for the pro-life movement in Florida. Had it become law, abortionists would have been obligated to perform an ultrasound to show women the child they sought to abort, and describe to them the parts of the baby as revealed on the ultrasound image.

Scott also opposes embryonic stem-cell research.

Florida Right to Life (FRTL) PAC has also endorsed Scott in the governor’s race, and he is the nominee of Florida’s Tea Party, which has an official ballot line in the state.

Matt Ozolnieks, chairman of FRTL PAC, told LifeSiteNews.com in a telephone interview that he was “not surprised” that polling trends show Scott leading the race.

“There is a wave of pro-life enthusiasm in the state of Florida this cycle, as we’ve never seen before,” Ozolnieks explained. “I’ll put our candidates against Planned Parenthood’s any day of the week.”

Ozolnieks also praised Scott’s selection of pro-life state Rep. Jennifer Carroll (R-Fleming Island) to run as his lieutenant governor as “an amazing choice.”

“She’s a solid pro-life woman that leads a really good example for our young folks out there that are looking at public service, and perhaps say ‘do I need to be quiet on this issue.’ No, you don’t. Here is an accomplished woman that will be our next lieutenant governor,” continued Ozolnieks. He added that if Scott wins, Carroll would be in a good position to run later for Senate or governor, ensuring more strong pro-life leadership for Florida.

A former chairman of Solantic and leader of Conservatives for Patients Rights, Scott was one of the individuals honored as “Business Person of the Year” at the 2009 Paul Weyrich Awards dinner in Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, D.C.

LSN had a chance to interview Scott at that event, where he emphasized that social and economic conservatives do have a commonality of interests; he said that the fight over health-care reform and its specter of health-care rationing was an instance of the two viewpoints aligning in a common fight.

“I’m a conservative, and every conservative I know cares about people,” said Scott. “So they know that doing the right thing on health-care is going to be better for you as an individual, your family, and your kids” (see story).

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