In the surest sign yet that Gov. Charlie Crist will run for the Senate in 2010, the Republican Party of Florida has conducted private polling on how a gubernatorial race would play out without the popular incumbent, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

State Republican Party chair Jim Greer says that Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the likely Democratic candidate in an open-seat gubernatorial race "would be a formidable" candidate. But other Republican candidates -- perhaps Attorney General Bill McCollum or Agriculture Secretary Charles Bronson "would be an equal match-up if not a little bit ahead of the game."

As for Crist:

[Greer] said the Public Opinion Strategies poll showed 74 percent of likely voters approve of Crist's performance - compared to 60 percent for Obama - and 23 percent disapprove, including 40 percent approval from Democrats, 60 percent from independents and 80 percent from Republicans. Whatever office Crist runs for, he leads any primary challenger by 50 points and any general election opponent by at least 30 points, Greer said."