SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. -- He's Governor Charlie Crist's top competition in the Republican primary for Florida's next Senator and former House Speaker Marco Rubio is starting to close the gap in the polls.

Rubio was in the Villages Thursday, meeting with people who asked him what he thought it would take to defeat a very popular governor.

The conservative women's group in the Villages isn't the only place Marco Rubio's finding a warm reception.

“You're tired of apologizing for what you believe in,” Rubio told the crowd.

The former Florida house speaker is closing the gap in the race for U.S. Senate with fellow Republican and Governor Charlie Crist.

The latest poll shows Rubio has cut Crist's lead almost in half, from 29 to 15 points.

Crist is now ahead 50 to 35 percent in a match up some still describe as "David versus Goliath."

“What makes you think you can beat a popular governor in the primary?” WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen asked.

“First, I love when people call it ‘David versus Goliath’ because I'd rather be David than Goliath, but it's not about people, it's not about him, it's not about me, it's about the issues,” Rubio replied.

Rubio's been trying to make that case to conservatives for months, touring Republican clubs, pledging his support for tax reform and firm opposition of a public option in health care.

He also took a few not-so-subtle swipes at Governor Crist.

“In the past, maybe we could afford to send people to Washington D.C. who were charming and nice, who could write a nice thank you letter and who could charm you with a handshake and a smile. We can't afford that anymore,” he said.

Poll numbers aren't the only area where Rubio is trying to gain ground. He says he raised nearly $1 million over the last three months, but Governor Crist collected about double that.

It's not clear just how much people gave Rubio at Thursday’s gathering.

The same poll that was just released also shows Governor Crist leading the top democrat, Kendrick Meek, 51 to 31 percent.

Rubio is nearly neck-in-neck with Meek, trailing him 36 to 33.