Rubio catches up with Crist in new poll

A new Rasmussen poll shows that the race for GOP nomination for Florida's U.S. Senate seat is now a dead heat between once-seemingly-invincible Charlie Crist and the once-seemingly-only-a-long shot Marco Rubio, with each coming in at 43 percent.

Earlier polling gains for Rubio, a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, might have been due, in part, to delays by the governor in responding to challenge posed by his younger, less-well-known rival. But recently, Crist's campaign has gone on the offensive, raising questions about Rubio's record and his supposed conservative credentials.

For his efforts, Crist, with the backing of the national Republican establishment and a big fund-raising lead, is locked in a tie. The governor's support has dropped from 53 percent in August to 49 in October.

“The fact that Crist has fallen below 50 percentin a primary against a lesser known opponent suggests potential vulnerability,” Rasmussen Reports states.

Conversely, Rubio's numbers have improved as his name-recognition has increased. In August, his support was at 31 percent.

For more details about the poll's findings, go here.