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CPAC straw poll could help clarify Senate primary

Posted Aug 10, 2011 by William March

Updated Aug 10, 2011 at 02:21 PM

It’s likely the American Conservative Union will hold a straw poll in the Florida GOP Senate primary in September, which could help clarify the murky state of the primary.

The ACU will hold one of its trademark Conservative Political Action Conference events during the state Republican Party’s Presidency 5 convention in Orlando Sept. 22-24, and party insiders expect the event to include a Senate primary straw poll.

ACU spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said no decision on the matter has been made, but confirmed that the ACU is considering some sort of action to showcase the GOP Senate candidates.

Presidency 5, of course, is expected to generate major news over planned presidential primary straw poll, which is likely to affect momentum in the presidential race. But a Senate straw poll, if there is one, could have even more effect on that race.

State Senate President Mike Haridopolos, formerly the frontrunner at least in fundraising, surprisingly dropped out of the race in July. Most GOP insiders thought that left a two-man race, Adam Hasner v. George LeMieux. But a Quinnipiac University poll last week showed a large majority of Republican voters undecided. Among the majority who expressed an opinion, the leader was dark horse Mike McCalister, LeMieux was second and Hasner, in fourth, trailed Craig Miller, also a comparative unknown.
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Update: The ACU now confirms it will hold a GOP Senate primary straw poll, to be conducted by the GOP polling and consulting firm Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates. The organization already has asked Hasner, LeMieux, McCalister and Miller to participate, but leaves open the possibility of adding others. It says criteria for participating in the straw poll haven’t yet been decided.