Libertarian Playing Key Role in Bitter Florida Governor’s Race

Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist are deadlocked in an impossibly tight battle for Florida governor. The latest surveys from CNN, the Tampa Bay Times and Quinnipiac have all had the race tied. Meanwhile Adrian Wyllie, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for governor in Florida, is regularly polling in high single-digits.

Despite coming under scrutiny for his choice of campaign manager, Wyllie is drawing support from dissatisfied voters who have endured an endless barrage of negativity from Crist and Scott.

If his poll numbers translate into actual votes tomorrow, it will represent the strong showing ever for a Libertarian in a Florida statewide race. It will also be the best statewide showing for a Florida third party candidate since John Grady won 16% in a U.S. Senate race as the nominee of the American Party back in 1974.

But that’s all a big “if” — and Florida voters have disappointed in the past. Despite spending significant amounts of his own money on television advertising and successfully forcing his way into a televised debate, Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Max Linn failed to register even 2% back in 2006.

Winning between 6% and 10% in most polls over the last month, another “big if” is what happens in the event that Wyllie’s support doesn’t fully materialize at the ballot box. Would those voters stay home or gravitate to another candidate?

If Wyllie performs as well as some expect, he may still be outshined by fellow Libertarian candidate Bill Wohlsifer. He is the party’s nominee in the lower profile contest for Attorney General. Because Wohlsifer is the only non-major party candidate on the ballot in any of Florida’s cabinet races, it’s very possible that he may wind up drawing even more protest votes than Wyllie does at the end of the day.