New poll suggests that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could beat former President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primaries.
According to a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Florida, 59 percent of registered voters approve of DeSantis’ performance as governor since his reelection last year, while only 39 percent said otherwise.
The poll also shows that the governor is far more popular than Trump or President Biden, who are underwater with voters in Florida. Statewide, 53 percent of voters like DeSantis, while 36 percent disapprove of him.
Trump currently holds a 39 percent favorable and 50 percent unfavorable rating, while Biden is viewed favorably by just 33 percent of Florida voters and unfavorably by 54 percent. This makes DeSantis significantly more popular than Trump among regular Republican primary voters.
This comes as DeSantis has hinted at a presidential run for months, attending events to secure donors from longtime backers of Trump.
The Washington Post reported earlier this year that DeSantis’ political committee will serve as the launching pad for the governor’s higher office ambitions. Sources familiar with the situation said that he plans to announce his candidacy once Florida’s legislative session ends in May.
Allies of Trump, meanwhile, have accused the governor of running a “shadow presidential campaign,” calling on the Florida Commission on Ethics to investigate DeSantis over state statute violations.
“Governor DeSantis’ failure to declare his candidacy is no mere oversight,” the complaint read. “[I]t is a coordinated effort to specifically designed for him to accept, as unethical gifts, illegal campaign contributions and certain personal benefits that are necessarily intended to influence his official decision to resign from office under Florida’s resign to run law.”
Trump’s camp has also started to attack the governor in an effort to deter him from running or sink his favorable ratings with Republicans.
In TV ads that started running Friday, the Trump-owned MAGA Inc. has been criticizing DeSantis’ voting record as a member of Congress and highlighting his stance on Social Security entitlements.
“Think you know Ron DeSantis? Think again,” the commercial’s narrator says. “In Congress, DeSantis voted three separate times to cut Social Security.”
“The more you see about DeSantis, the more you see he doesn’t share our values. He’s not ready to be president,” the narrator concludes.
