ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott won re-election Tuesday, despite a majority of Florida voters having an unfavorable view of him, buoyed by white voters and residents in rural and suburban areas, according to the final results of exit polling conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.
More voters disapprove than approve of how Scott responded to health care reform, the polling showed. Although 51 percent of voters had a favorable view of Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, 60 percent say the former GOP governor switched parties to win elections rather than to reflect his own beliefs. Overall, 73 percent of Florida voters expressed worry about the economy and 62 percent believe the nation is on the wrong track.
Here are some highlights of voters' views based on exit-polling interviews Tuesday:
WHO LIKED SCOTT: White voters (58 percent) and senior citizens (56 percent) overwhelmingly supported Scott. The incumbent dropped 15 percentage points among late middle-aged voters compared with the 2010 gubernatorial election. Voters without a college degree favored Scott over Crist, as did voters earning more than $100,000 a year and Catholic and Protestant voters. Voters in the Panhandle and along Florida's Gulf Coast preferred Scott over Crist, as did voters in the state's suburban and rural areas.
WHO LIKED CRIST: Crist appealed to blacks, Hispanics, moderates and younger voters. Around 85 percent of African-Americans supported Crist over Scott. Crist split the vote with Scott among Cuban voters, typically a GOP-leaning group. Overall, Scott lost 12 points in support among Hispanics compared with the 2010 gubernatorial race. Voters in South Florida and central Florida preferred Crist over Scott, as did voters in cities.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Though it failed to secure the necessary 60 percent for passage, the medical marijuana amendment won majority support among voters from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, income levels and educational attainment. Democrats and voters who identify as independent also supported the proposed amendment. Only senior citizens and Republicans opposed legalizing medical marijuana.
TOP ISSUES: The economy was the issue of top concern, cited by 45 percent of Florida voters. Six in 10 Florida voters approve of the U.S. military action against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Florida voters are evenly split on whether the state should recognize same-sex marriage, 48 percent on each side. About half, 47 percent believe the 2010 health care reform law went too far, compared with just 20 percent who don't think it went far enough.
2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: With two native sons being talked about as possible Republican presidential candidates in 2016, Florida voters were less than enthusiastic about their running. Just 40 percent say Jeb Bush would make a good president, 50 percent say he would not. The state's junior senator, Marco Rubio, fares about the same, with 50 percent saying he wouldn't be a good president while just 36 percent say he would.
The exit poll was conducted for The AP and the television networks by Edison Research in a sample of 2,865 Florida voters at 33 random precincts statewide. Results also included 773 voters who voted early or absentee and were interviewed by landline or cellular telephone from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2. Results for the full sample were subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.
