Republican-Turned-Democrat Charlie Crist Leading Republican Rick Scott in Florida Gubernatorial Matchup

Crist served as governor while Republican, failed to secure the Republican nomination for Senate and ran a failed independent bid

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist -- who switched parties and endorsed Barack Obama for re-election in 2012 -- leads current Republican Gov. Rick Scott by eight percentage points in the Sunshine State's upcoming gubernatorial race, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.

Scott has the support of 38 percent of voters, lagging behind Crist's 46 percent. While Scott has improved his standing from March, when he trailed by some 16 points, he has lost some ground since a November poll showed him just seven points behind his predecessor in the governor's mansion. (Crist chose not to seek re-election in 2010, instead launching an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat won by Marco Rubio.)