Crist Maintains Lead Over Fried in new Polls

With Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) officially qualifying for the gubernatorial primary, a recent poll indicates that Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) is maintaining a significant lead over the sole statewide elected Democrat. Though Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to win reelection, Democrats are making a run for numerous elections around the country, hoping to turn seats blue in the process.

Florida state Senator Annette Taddeo (D) recently dropped out of the race, but she quickly endorsed Crist.

Over the weekend, the results of a Florida Governor Polls showed Charlie Crist with 41% support over Nikki Fried’s 24% support. This is similar to a recent poll that shows Crist with 49.3% support and Fried with 23.8%.

Fried has criticized Crist over his past as a Republican, marking that Floridians are in need of new leadership in the Governor's office.

However, because President Joe Biden's (D) approval rating has taken a significant hit ahead of the 2022 midterm election, political pundits are expecting Governor DeSantis to win reelection regardless of the Democratic challenger. This is something that extends to the Agriculture Commissioner post, which Fried is vacating.

In a recent interview with Local 10 Channel News, Fried commented on an internal poll that indicated she is closer to Crist than other polls suggest.

"I want an opportunity to unite us," Fried said during the interview when asked why she was seeking the gubernatorial spot. " "To make sure that there is somebody that's focused on the economic issues" that are striking the state of Florida," Fried added. In the interview, Fried also discusses the internal polling, which conflicts with previous polls showing Crist ahead in the primary race.

Rep. Crist has received a significant amount of support from union groups and lawmakers, billing him as the right candidate to beat DeSantis in November and turn the Governor's seat blue.