Miami, Fla. – In her bid to become the first Black from Florida and second woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, Democrat Congresswoman Val Demings’ chances of unseating Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio in November have just improved, according to one poll.

Progressive outfits in collaboration with Florida Communications and Research Hub released a new poll last week which shows the candidates are tied at 46 percent among 2,860 registered Florida voters who were asked, during the month of September, which candidate they plan to vote for during the midterm elections.

About 41 percent of the voters were registered as Republicans and 37 percent were Democrats with a 1.83 percentage point margin of error.

The poll didn’t release results from Independents and third-party voters.

The dead-heat showing was the best for Demings who trailed Rubio in a previous Progressive outfits poll by five points and trailed the three-term senator by as much as double digits before her primary election in another Progressive survey.

Rubio, however, who is CubanAmerican, leads Demings in two other polls released in September.

The Siena College Research Institute, commissioned by Spectrum News, has Rubio leading by 7 points. Another poll released by MasonDixon Polling and Strategy has Rubio leading Demings with 47 percent of the vote to 41 percent.

According to the Siena College Research Institute, Rubio has a 48 to 41 percent lead over Demings, although the voters in the survey suggested he is incompetent and avoided addressing the affordable housing and homeowners insurance crisis in Florida.

The voters were registered as Republicans, Democrats, Independents and third party.

Rubio has more support from Republicans and third-party voters in Florida. More Black voters who are Democrats and Independents are backing Demings.

About 45 percent of men support Rubio and 38 percent of women say they plan to vote for Demings. Despite trailing in two of polls, Demings’ campaign applauded the results from Progressive, suggesting Florida is seeking a change in the U.S. Senate.

“Chief Demings is running to represent all Floridians, while Marco Rubio continues to fail them every chance he gets,” Demings Press Secretary Devon Cruz said in a statement. “Floridians know this race is between a cop on the beat versus a career politician who doesn’t show up for work. Floridians want a leader in the United States Senate who will fight to lower costs, lower crime, and protect their constitutional rights. Chief Demings will be that Senator.”

According to the Progressive polls, some voters support Deming’s stance on abortion rights for women after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe versus Wade this year and attacked Rubio for backing the ban.

The reverse ruling allows states to impose their own abortion ban laws.

Florida has a 15-week abortion ban driven by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Though she was the police chief for the Orlando Police Department for years and a congresswoman since 2016, about 35 percent of the voters ages 18 to 35 don’t know Demings, and 29 percent of Hispanic voters of the same age range also had never heard about her, according to the Progressive poll.

In the Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy poll, Demings showed improvement from February when she trailed Rubio 45 to 38 percent with 17 percent of voters undecided.

In the latest poll, Demings had a higher percentage of voters who were either neutral or never heard of her.

Ten percent of voters were undecided.

Demings still has a lot of ground to cover by the November 8 election.

Demings has been making a series of campaign stops including in South Florida and Central Florida since the primary election in August and after her victory to face Rubio in the Fall.

She even cut into Rubio’s home base by visiting voters in Little Havana in August, saying her focus is on representing Florida as a whole in the Senate.

“As a United States Senator, it is my responsibility to make sure that I represent all people," Demings said. "We should not pick and choose winners and losers based on our ethnic background, or where we live, or how much money we have."

Demings also met with local Black leaders in Miami-Dade County while making public appearances and at fundraisers, describing her chances at winning the election.

"This is a tough race," she told the crowd. "Of course, it’s tough. But it’s winnable. We can win this race. We can win, regardless of those that want you to believe that we cannot.”

The race is one of the most expensive in U.S. Senate history.

According to the candidates’ campaign finance reports, Demings leads Rubio $41.9 million to his $36.4 million.