An Emerson College poll published on Thursday shows Sen. Rick Scott leading in the race for reelection in November, with economic concerns dominating Florida voters’ priorities.

A poll conducted by Emerson College and published on Thursday gives Sen. Rick Scott an early lead to secure reelection in November, while economic factors remain the leading concern among Florida voters.

The poll, conducted on April 9th and 10th among 1,000 registered Florida voters, found 45 percent of registered voters to support Scott and 38 percent backing Democrat nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Seventeen percent remain undecided.

Scott has bolstered his reelection campaign with a slew of high-level endorsements, notably from fellow Senator Marco Rubio and 80 state legislators, including state leaders Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner. Both lauded Scott’s “commitment to policies fostering a conducive environment for living, working, and raising families in the state.”

Scott, a two-term Florida governor, narrowly defeated Democrat incumbent Bill Nelson in the 2018 Senate election, receiving approximately 10,000 more votes than the former astronaut, marking the first time since the Reconstruction era that Republicans held both Senate seats in Florida.

In August, Mucarsel-Powell, a former Democratic Representative, declared her intention to challenge Scott for his Senate seat. Before her formal announcement, top Democratic figures, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials, had already expressed support, urging her to enter the race, as reported by Politico in July.

The poll also highlights the economy as the paramount concern for voters, with 27 percent indicating it as their top issue, followed by housing affordability at 16 percent and immigration at 14 percent.

“The economy is the most important issue among Florida voters at 27 percent, followed by housing affordability at 16 percent, immigration at 14 percent, abortion access at 10 percent, threats to democracy at 9 percent, healthcare at 9 percent, education at 6 percent, and crime at 5 percent,” the poll summary discloses.