A new poll by the Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) at the University of North Florida shows Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) with a five-point edge over presumptive Democratic nominee David Jolly in the governor's race.
Byron Donalds: 46%
David Jolly: 41%
Other: 5%
The results come after another PORL poll found Rep. Donalds with a six-point advantage over Jolly in March. In addition, an Echelon Insights poll found Donalds with a six-point lead over Jolly in April.
Notably, both polls are fairly consistent with other findings in the race. However, a recent Change Research poll found Jolly with a four-point edge on Rep. Donalds (46% to 42%) with 12% undecided.
In another Florida race, UNF found incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) with an 8-point edge over Democratic candidate Angie Nixon and a 10-point lead over Alexander Vindman for U.S. Senate.
“These races are notably closer than we’ve seen in recent election cycles, somewhat unsurprising given that the party that controls the presidency usually struggles in midterm elections,” PORL Faculty Director Dr. Sean Freeder said.
Before possibly facing off in the general election, Rep. Donalds is in a Republican primary with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and businessman James Fishback. Unlike polling in that race, Donalds appears to be in good position for the Republican nomination with big leads, including from the Tyson Group just last week.
Sen. Moody is also likely to secure the Republican nomination over candidates Chris Gleason, Neelam Perry, and Ernie Rivera. Alexander Vindman and Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) are the only candidates on the Democratic ticket.
And while both candidates have leads over their respective challengers, Donalds' lead is a bit more precarious, especially when you consider the consistency and past gubernatorial results.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom Donalds is looking to replace, won Florida by over 19 points in 2022. DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term.
The primary is Aug 18, with the general election on Nov. 3.
