A new poll by Echelon Insights shows Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) with six and four-point leads over Democratic opponents David Jolly and Jerry Demings, respectively, in the governor's race.
The poll, on behalf of NetChoice, found Rep. Donalds at 49% and Jolly at 43%, with 8% undecided. In the other matchup, Donalds had 48% to Demings' 44%, with 7% undecided.
Echelon's poll follows a similar Emerson College poll showing Rep. Donalds with a lead over both Jolly and Demings in the race. A University of North Florida poll taken in March also had Donalds leading both candidates.
Donalds is in a Republican primary with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and businessman James Fishback for the nomination. Echelon's poll did not factor in the Republican primary in its results.
The Republican primary is on Aug. 18, 2026, with the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.
Along with the gubernatorial matchup, Echelon polled Florida's special Senate contest between Republican incumbent Ashley Moody and Democrat Alex Vindman, with Sen. Moody holding a 7-point edge over Vindman (50% to 43%), with 7% undecided.
Sen. Moody also held leads over Vindman and Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) in Emerson College's poll. Moody was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio resigned to become Secretary of State in January 2025.
Echelon's polling was conducted from April 3-9 with 406 respondents.
Notably, President Donald Trump endorsed Donalds in February 2025 and Sen. Moody in July of the same year in their respective races. Trump won Florida by 13 points over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, arguably giving both candidates a boost heading into the fall.
Florida hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994 or a Democratic senator since 2012, with Lawton Chiles and Bill Nelson serving in those positions, respectively. Chiles served from 1991 to 1998 after being reelected to a second term, while Nelson served from 2001 to 2019 after being reelected to a third term in 2012.
The gubernatorial and Senate elections will be decided on Nov. 3, 2026.
