A Washington Post poll released Tuesday shows Sen. Bill Nelson leading Rep. Connie Mack (R) among likely voters, 54 percent to 40 percent. Nelson’s already significant 14-point lead increases to 18 points among registered voters.

The poll has Nelson leading 18 points among independents and 40 points among self-identified moderates.

Nelson also does fairly well among Republicans, with 15 percent supporting the incumbent senator. By comparison, only 14 percent of Democrats support Mack.

The poll comes as Mack is in the midst of a six-day bus tour of north and Central Florida, attempting to make the case against Nelson.

On Monday, Mack asserted that his Democratic opponent is “not really an astronaut, saying Nelson didn’t go through the years of training.

“It’s just like I’ve flown on an airplane, and I’m not an airline pilot,” Mack said during a campaign stop in Melbourne.

In 1986, Nelson became the second member of Congress to travel into space when he served aboard the Columbia space shuttle for 7 days as payload specialist.

Florida Today reports, Mack claimed Nelson “elbowed his way onto” the shuttle mission only because he was a congressman representing the Space Coast, adding that “real astronauts would be offended” by Nelson’s claim.

National Rifle Association President David Keene, Mack’s GOP primary opponent Dave Weldon, and Rep. Bill Posey joined Mack on the Monday leg of his bus tour.

Attorney General Pam Bondi will join Mack on Wednesday and Sen. Marco Rubio is expected to campaign with the Republican congressman next week.

Tags | astronaut, Bill Nelson, Connie Mack, Dave Weldon, Pam Bondi