Florida Senate race deadlocked

MIAMI, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The newest poll for the Florida Senate race shows what all the others have shown -- Democrat Betty Castor and Republican Mel Martinez are tied.

The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for The Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV found Martinez leading Castor 47 percent to 46 percent, The Tribune said Friday.

Six percent were undecided and 1 percent were for Dennis Bradley of the Veterans Party with a 4-point margin of error. The survey of 625 likely voters was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Tribune said other polls have been similarly non-decisive.

A Quinnipiac University poll showed Martinez with a 49 percent to 46 percent lead. An Insider Advantage tracking poll, described as a small-sample poll using rolling daily averages, shows Castor leading 46 percent to 43 percent.

Martinez, a former cabinet member under President Bush, said he was "encouraged" by the latest polls, and Castor wasn't unhappy either.

"We think it's very even, and we think the momentum is going our way. It's going to be like this from now until election day," said Castor, former state education commissioner and president of the University of South Florida.