ST. PETERSBURG -- U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio responded to the results of an exclusive poll conducted by News 13’s Bright House Networks affiliate, Bay News 9, along with the St. Petersburg Times and the Miami Herald Monday.
Rubio attended a meet and greet with the Hispanic Republican Club of Pinellas County at an Indian Rocks restaurant Monday night.
One poll showed 50 percent of Florida Republicans support Gov. Charlie Crist, while 28 percent support Rubio for the U.S. Senate primary.
"A lot of people still don't know who we are," he said. "But remember we've cut the lead in half from where it was just a few months ago without any television advertising. The bottom line is we have a message that I believe a majority of Republicans want their party to stand for."
Poll results also show 71 percent of Republicans wish Jeb Bush could lead Florida right now instead of Governor Crist.
Rubio says former Governor Bush is his mentor.
I hope I can earn his support but right now this campaign is about me and I've got to earn the support of voters," Rubio said. "They need to know who am and what I stand for."
As for the public option in health care reform, our poll shows 40 percent support, while 47 percent oppose the idea. Rubio is among that percentage.
"Instead of a public option, what we need is a vibrant private market where people can buy the type of insurance they want at a price they can afford independent of their employer," Rubio said. "The way we buy auto insurance."
Rubio also says he believes the public option is nothing but a first step toward a single payer system.
Both Crist and former Governor Bush declined to comment on the poll results.
Rubio will return to the Bay area on Saturday to address the south Pinellas 9/12 project at Courtside Grille in St. Petersburg.
Information from News 13’s Bright House Networks affiliate, Bay News 9, was used in this report.
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