JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA — Most Floridians are pleased with how Governor Ron DeSantis is leading the state, a new poll indicates.
Nearly 6 in 10 Floridians (59 percent) approve of the governor’s job performance, according to a Mason Dixon Poll released Tuesday. The poll surveyed 625 registered voters, including Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
The rating is four points higher than the last Mason Dixon poll from September 2022, which showed DeSantis had a 55 percent approval rating. It is the highest rating he has received in the poll since 2019 when he garnered a thumbs up from 62 percent of respondents.
While 90 percent of registered Republicans in Florida approve of the governor’s job performance, nearly 1 in 4 Democrats (24 percent) and almost 6 in 10 independent voters (59 percent) agree.
OUTPERFORMING TRUMP AND BIDEN
DeSantis appears to be outpacing his expected competition for his home state in 2024 – both in the primary and general election.
“DeSantis is, by far, more popular than either Biden or Donald Trump. Statewide, 53 percent have a favorable opinion of DeSantis and 36 percent have an unfavorable view,” the poll summary noted. “Both Trump (39 percent favorable/50 percent unfavorable) and Biden (33 percent favorable/54 percent unfavorable) are underwater in Florida.”
DeSantis has not publicly announced whether or not he will run for president, but is widely expected to do so.
STRONG APPROVAL RATINGS FOR DESANTIS
Additionally, Republicans in Florida would pick Governor Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump if the two faced off in a presidential primary, the poll suggests.
DeSantis leads Trump by 5 points among registered Republicans in the Sunshine State. The poll showed 44 percent of GOP voters would choose DeSantis, compared to 39 percent who preferred Trump. Another 5 percent preferred a different candidate, while 12 percent said they were undecided.
“Among GOP voters, DeSantis’s favorable recognition is 87 percent, compared to 71 percent for Trump,” the summary added. “Trump’s negatives with Republicans (19 percent) are almost triple those of DeSantis (7 percent).”
