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Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is running for re-election in the November elections with a clear lead over his Democratic challengers: former Governor Charlie Crist, local Senator Annette Taddeo, and state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
According to a poll conducted by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute, DeSantis leads Crist by 16 points (49 vs. 33), Taddeo by 19 points (49 vs. 30), and Fried by 24 points (51 vs. 27).
According to the survey data, nearly 60% of Floridians approve of DeSantis’ job, and about the same proportion are happy with the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in their state.
DeSantis, presidential candidate?
Interestingly, residents of the Sunshine State see their governor as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for president. While nationally 61.4% of Republicans would support Donald Trump and DeSantis follows him with 32.1%. In Florida, the difference is much smaller. While 64.3% would still support Trump, 55.5% would give their vote to DeSantis in a hypothetical national race.
The poll indicates that a majority of Florida voters have no interest in seeing Biden run for re-election, as only 33.2% would consider it.
The poll also asked voters about the work of other elected officials. In that sense, 55.2% of those consulted approve of the work of Senator Rick Scott (R), and 53.8% support Senator Marco Rubio (R).
Rubio, in turn, is seeking re-election to the Senate and faces Val Demings, whom he leads by 17 points (45 vs. 27.4), although 27% of respondents are unsure about both candidates.
According to the same survey, the economy and employment are the issues that most concern Florida residents, followed by inflation and COVID-19, in that order.
Issues such as climate change, government spending, border security, and foreign relations are of lesser concern to Floridians.
