TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Republicans are off to a strong early lead one week ahead of the primary elections on November 8. More than 1.3 million GOP voters have already voted, compared to 1.15 million Democrats, Politico reports. Additionally, 572,525 independent voters with no party affiliation (NPA) have voted early.
The 137,000-voter lead reinforces what recent polls and voter registration have shown, namely, that Florida has gotten significantly redder over the past four years. In 2018, Democrats held a 200,000 lead in registered voters. Heading into the 2022 election, Republicans now boast a 300,000-voter advantage.
In addition to the GOP’s promising leads, recent polling suggests a majority of NPA votes will be cast for Republican candidates. Last week, a poll conducted by the University of North Florida showed double digit leads among NPA voters for Ron DeSantis (11 percent), Marco Rubio (10 percent) and Ashley Moody (14 percent) over their respective Democrat challengers.
Additionally, a Spectrum News/Siena College Poll conducted in late September showed 54 percent of independent voters held a favorable view of the governor, while 41 percent reported an unfavorable view. Meanwhile, DeSantis’ opponent Charlie Crist received favorable views from just 27 percent of respondents, compared to 41 percent unfavorable.
