U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson holds the edge in a hypothetical 2018 re-election campaign against Gov. Rick Scott, according to a University of North Florida survey of 973 registered voters.

A UNF political scientist called the lead meaningful, even as Scott, twice elected as the state’s Republican governor, has started past campaigns with unenviable poll results before eking out narrow wins.

Nelson, a three-term Democrat, beats out Scott 44 percent to 38 percent, with 12 percent of voters undecided.

“Even though it’s very early in the 2018 election season, Nelson’s six-point lead is meaningful,” said Michael Binder, director of UNF’s Public Opinion Research Laboratory. “This race is going to get national attention and Rick Scott’s alliance with Donald Trump will likely factor into this election’s outcome next year.”

Nelson’s advantage seems to stem in part from a relatively favorable job approval rating among Florida voters: 42 percent approve of his job, with 28 percent disapproving. That net positive rating of 14 points is much better than Nelson’s Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, and President Donald Trump, who are both under water with voters. Fifty-one percent of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s administration so far, with 44 percent in support.

http://jacksonville.com/metro/news/elections/2017-03-06/unf-poll-us-sen-bill-nelson-edges-gov-rick-scott-possible-18-match