A new poll by the Tyson Group has Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) lapping the field over his opponents in the Republican primary. The election is in 36 days.
Results of the poll are below:
Byron Donalds: 48%
Jay Collins: 9%
James Fishback: 8%
Paul Renner 4%
Someone Else: 4%
Undecided: 26%
Overall, Rep. Donalds is nearly 40 points clear over Lt. Gov. Collins and more than 40 points ahead of businessman James Fishback and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner for the nomination. The poll is also widely consistent with others showing Donalds with a large lead on his opponents over the last several months.
So, is this race over?
The better question is not if Rep. Donalds is going to win, but how much he's going to win by in the end. Having a nearly 40-point lead is a tall task for anyone to overcome, especially when you consider Donalds is sitting on a mountain of cash and has the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump in his back pocket.
While detractors might call the poll call fake or biased, Donalds even holds a large lead according to one of his opponents.
A poll conducted on behalf of Lt. Gov. Collins shows Donalds with a 17-point lead over the lieutenant governor, a 28-point advantage over Fishback, and a 35-point lead over Renner, with 28% undecided.
Once again, that's a double-digit lead with the Republican primary a little more than a month away. That's arguably hard to make up three months out of an election, let alone one.
Donalds also has the support of several high-profile Republican officials, including Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, and Rep. Meg Weinberger (R-Palm Beach Gardens). In addition, Donalds has the backing of a majority of Florida sheriffs and many advocacy groups.
While it might be a forgone conclusion to some - Collins, Fishback, and Renner don't appear to be quitting. In the world of politics, things can switch on a dime, but the Donalds camp must feel like it's in the driver's seat to victory by this result for Aug. 18.
