New polls show Demings gaining on Rubio. Can they be trusted?

A recent spate of polls suggests Republican Sen. Marco Rubio might suddenly have a tougher-than-expected reelection fight on his hands.

But some skepticism of the new numbers is warranted — even according to Democrats in the state.

In the last two weeks, three polls have shown putative Democratic Senate nominee Val Demings either tied or leading Rubio in Florida. The most recent, a survey from the University of North Florida released Tuesday, found Demings receiving 48% support from registered voters, more than the 44% who said they backed the GOP incumbent. Seven percent of respondents said they would vote for someone else.

That poll comes days after two surveys released last week found the race tied: One, from a pair of Florida progressive groups, found the two candidates each receiving 45% of the vote. Another poll released last week, this one from the Democratic group EMILY’s List, showed Demings and Rubio each receiving 46% support.