Fla primary: McBride, Reno neck in neck

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- A second poll showed Wednesday that Tampa lawyer Bill McBride may have caught up with former Attorney General Janet Reno in Florida's Democratic primary for governor Tuesday.

The survey showed that McBride now has 39 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Reno, making it a virtual dead heat. State Sen. Daryl Jones collected 8 percent with 12 percent undecided.

The poll was conducted for the Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which sampled 400 likely Democratic primary voters.

In a sample of 625 voters from both parties, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush outpolled McBride by 51 percent to 39 percent. The margin over Reno was 56 percent to 37 percent. Bush is unopposed in Tuesday's primary elections.

A poll by Schroth & Associates released last weekend by The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald showed Reno with 40 percent to 38 percent for McBride and 9 percent for Jones. Thirteen percent were undecided.

A June Mason-Dixon poll had Reno ahead 53 percent to 25 percent. A Schroth poll in April showed Reno with a 30 percent lead over McBride.

"We're ahead of where I thought we would do," said McBride. "Our strategy was to peak at the end."

Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon agreed that "the trend looks very positive for him."

Roy Schroth of Schroth & Associates said essentially the same after the weekend poll.

"The poll conclusively demonstrates that Janet Reno is on the verge of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory," Schroth said.

Reno said she still expects to win.

"Voters recognize me and they know my name and what I stand for," Reno said.