NYT Poll: Debbie Closing the Gap in Florida’s 26th District
MIAMI – Late last night, the New York Times live election poll completed its calls in Florida’s 26th Congressional District and showed a race that has tightened considerably in Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s favor, with Carlos Curbelo now only holding a slim 47-44 lead, well within the margin of error. This result comes even as voters hold a clear opinion of Congressman Curbelo, but continue to get to know Debbie. A majority of voters also reported they would prefer Democrats to take control of the U.S. House.
“This race has tightened considerably. The more voters get to know Debbie, the more the wind is at her back,” said Melvin Felix, a spokesperson for the Mucarsel-Powell campaign. “That’s because voters are rejecting the agenda of Congressman Curbelo and other Washington Republicans. Curbelo voted with his party in Congress to take healthcare away from more than 100,000 people in this district. Like so many others in Florida, Debbie arrived in this country as an immigrant from Latin America and worked her way up to have a chance at the American dream. She will fight for families with the same goals, and she won’t sell them out to a political party in Washington. The more that voters get to know Debbie, the stronger she’ll be in November.”
This poll was part of a series commissioned by the New York Times to cover the races in some of the most competitive congressional districts across the country. Unlike other similar surveys, poll responses were published and displayed in real time, allowing readers to track results from start to finish.
The New York Times poll in Florida’s 26th Congressional District was conducted between Sept. 13 and Sept. 17. A total of 509 surveys were completed after 46,010 dials were attempted to phones in the district. The margin of error is ±5. To view the complete poll results, click here.
Most experts have pointed to Curbelo as one of the most endangered incumbents in the country. In a July poll that was completed before any paid advertising, Mucarsel-Powell was initially within seven points of the congressman, and later statistically tied with him after respondents were informed about her background and policy agenda.
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