Two wealthy political newcomers with bottomless bank accounts have taken substantial leads in Florida's top two statewide races according to a poll released on Thursday.

"If there was any doubt that enough money can make a political unknown into a frontrunner, the Democratic Senate primary and the Republican primary for governor should lay them to rest," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

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The survey showed Naples health care executive Rick Scott leading Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican race for governor by a margin of 43 to 32 percent. But that left 23 percent undecided — and 43 percent of those who chose a candidate said they might change their minds.

In the Democratic Senate race, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami Gardens trailed Palm Beach businessman Jeff Greene by 10 points — 33 to 23 percent. Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre polled 4 percent.

But undecided and possible switchers figured into the Senate primary, too. Quinnipiac said 35 percent of those polled were undecided and 54 percent of those who backed a candidate said they might change before the Aug. 24 primaries.

Greene, a billionaire real estate investor, and Scott, a cofounder of Columbia/HCA hospitals who now runs a chain of urgent-care centers, have three things in common. Both men are spending millions of their own money in their first Florida campaigns, neither has the support of their party leaders in Tallahassee and both are promising to promote job creation.

Both Meek and McCollum — labeled "career politicians" by their upstart opponents — were far ahead in polls of the Senate and governor's races until June, when Greene and Scott began pouring millions into their races. Scott's spending has topped $20 million, while Greene put about $8 million into advertising at the time the survey was taken.

"Floridians are looking for an outsider like me who is going to shake up Washington and put the people of Florida first," Greene said in a prepared statement.

Meek spokesman Adam Sharon said Meek had not started his television advertising before the poll, but just hit the airwaves this week.

"Billionaire Jeff Greene became a billionaire on Wall Street, betting against the Florida homeowners," said Sharon. "Kendrick Meek is working hard to protect the middle class in Florida and build up what Greene tried to tear down."

Besides Scott's personal spending on the campaign, his staff said it is important that Scott has withstood eight weeks of negative advertising by McCollum.

The poll questioned 760 Republicans and 782 Democrats July 22-27. Its margin for error in Republican races was 3.6 points and 3.5 points in the Democratic race.