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Politics

DeSantis' Continuing Wave of Popularity Is Lifting Trump in Florida, Says FAU Poll

March 29, 2019 - 7:45am
Gov. Ron DeSantis
Gov. Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to ride a wave of popularity among Florida voters, who also support many of his public policy priorities, including the importation of prescription drugs from Canada to reduce costs to Floridians and the creation of a task force to reduce the impact of harmful algae blooms, according to a statewide survey by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI). 

In fact, his lingering "honeymoon" among Florida voters could lift the president's popularity in 2020, poll tabulators say.

DeSantis enjoys a 54 percent approval rating, up six points from last month’s BEPI survey, with 19 percent disapproval and 27 percent of voters unsure about the new governor. Democrats were less enthusiastic about DeSantis, with 37 percent approval compared with 31 percent  disapproval. Independents gave DeSantis 51 percent approval to 12 percent disapproval; Republicans registered 72 percent approval and 11 percent disapproval.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Florida voters rose to 44 percent (up from 41 percent in the last poll), with 45 percent disapproval. However, when asked if they think Trump has any responsibility for the recent rise in hate crimes, more than half of Floridians surveyed believe he has some level of responsibility with 35 percent of Floridians saying he was very responsible and 20 percent saying he’s somewhat responsible.

Voters also were asked about several public policy proposals being discussed in Tallahassee. Importing prescription drugs from Canada to help lower costs to Floridians, included in legislation approved earlier this week by a state Senate committee and a DeSantis proposal, won 75 percent support among survey respondents, with only 12 percent opposition. This question had the strongest appeal across all demographics, including gender, party affiliation, race, age, education and region.

“The support is overwhelming among Floridians to import prescription drugs from Canada in an effort to lower prescription costs,” said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of the BEPI. “It’s one of many popular proposals from Gov. DeSantis that has his honeymoon continuing in Florida.”

DeSantis’ proposal to create a task force to reduce the impact of harmful algae blooms was also widely popular among voters, with 63 percent support and 16 percent opposition. The expansion of school voucher programs for middle-income families, included in a bill recently passed by a Florida House panel, garnered 52 percent support and 29 percent opposition. Banning fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing) to explore for oil and natural gas was also popular, with nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) supporting a ban on all kinds of fracking in Florida, while 31 percent oppose a ban.

“Florida looks once again to be a key swing state in the upcoming elections,” said Kevin Wagner, Ph.D., professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow of the Initiative. “Opinions on the performance of the president are sharply divided, but Republicans may be lifted by the continuing strong support shown for Gov. DeSantis.”

Floridians by a margin of 46 to 34 percent support banning sanctuary cities to prevent local governments from passing ordinances that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Allowing teachers to carry firearms on school property was opposed by 50 percent of those surveyed, while 38 percent approved.

The survey was conducted March 22-24 and polled 500 Florida registered voters. It was conducted using an online sample supplied by Survey Sampling International using online questionnaires and via an automated telephone platform (IVR) using registered voter lists supplied by Aristotle, Inc. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points. Responses for the entire sample were weighted to reflect the statewide distribution of the Florida population. The polling results and full cross-tabulations are available by clicking HERE

Comments

Trump and DeSantis are popular because their competition is a bunch of radical unfundable pie in the sky idea - haters - intent on bankrupting the country. That's the cold hard truth the FAU poll is trying to spare you leftist everybody gets a participation trophy crybabies from. Expect an embarrassing defeat in 2020 leftists. That defeat is already factoring in all your lies and cheating. Save yourself some time and start crying now snowflakes.

Sounds like you are worried, "Colt". You should be.

#walkaway

You ARE a nitwit

Good Job Gov. DeSantis! Keep up that kind of support push for President Trump and we'll get a lot more done for Florida, like we are seeing today with the surprise visit to Lake Okeechobee where the President just spoke minutes ago. The Corp of Engineers will pay a lot more attention to completing this "years overdue" project that is so important to preserving our waterways, the Great Cypress Swamp and our precious Everglades. Thank you to all of you who haven't been brainwashed by the Left into thinking Trump is the devil. Nothing could be further from the truth. Facts do not lie. Fact-based action that is doing nothing but good for our nation is all I pay attention to these days. Otherwise, I'd be as dumb as some I see spouting off here without any facts to back up anything they say. Trump keeps this up and he will be a shoe-in for re-election.

VoteDem2020 - I'm not sure that you really know how Communism works.... the Government controls your life and (supposedly) makes all people "EQUAL". That certainly does not smell like freedom. Only the "Ruling Commies" live the fat life of power and money - the rest of us get equal food, medical care, transportation, jobs... EVERYTHING. Do you have a clue about start-up Communism - like Argentina?

I'm certainly not "pro comunism" (besides - communism is passe), Sport, but I am MOST CERTAINLY "anti-Republican" given the make-up, practices, policies, and agenda of the particular iteration of the Republican party over the last 25 years! In your case ... WAKE-UP! It's Big Business controlling Government that's taking away American workers' and consumers' rights! That's "Corporatocracy" ... even worse than your version of Communism.

DeSantis' approval rating is 54% ... barely in the majority ... and Trump is still the object of some 17 different and separate investigations (several criminal) ... aside from his being childish, immoral, and an inveterate liar. (If you watch a tape of his recent pep rally in Michigan... including his claim that Democrats are "bullshit" ... he comes across like Mussolini and Hitler did back in the 1930s.)

Did the Mueller report come out yet?

Comments are now closed.

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