Byron Donalds Holds 5-Point Lead Over David Jolly In New Florida Gov Poll, Survey Shows
Byron Donalds Holds 5-Point Lead Over David Jolly In New Florida Gov Poll, Survey Shows
Mike Jenkins Mon, July 20, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC
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Florida Rep. Byron Donalds
A new survey of likely midterm voters in Florida shows Republican Byron Donalds leading Democrat David Jolly by five percentage points in a potential matchup for governor.
The poll, conducted from July 8 through July 17, 2026, by the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida, surveyed 848 likely Florida midterm voters. When asked who they would support in the gubernatorial election, 46% of respondents chose Donalds, while 41% selected Jolly.
Five percent of voters indicated a preference for someone else, 2% said they would not vote, and 6% remained undecided.
Party lines heavily influenced the results. Donalds holds 81% of Republican support, while Jolly holds 91% of Democratic backing. Among voters unaffiliated with either major political party, Donalds received 39% support compared to Jolly’s 38%.
David Jolly
The poll also measured voter preferences in Florida’s U.S. Senate race. Republican incumbent Ashley Moody maintains a 10-point lead over Democrat Alexander Vindman, with Moody earning 50% to Vindman’s 40%. In an alternate matchup against Democrat Angie Nixon, Moody leads 50% to 42%.
In addition to candidate preference, respondents were surveyed on approval ratings of several high-profile political figures. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received a 57% approval rating, with 41% disapproving. Senator Marco Rubio saw similar numbers, with 56% approving and 42% disapproving. President Donald Trump received a 48% overall approval rating and a 51% disapproval rating. Vice President JD Vance recorded a 49% approval rating against 48% disapproval.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
When asked about economic priorities, state voters pointed to a variety of affordability issues. Inflation was identified as the state government’s top priority by 23% of respondents, followed closely by housing costs at 21%, property taxes at 21%, property insurance at 20%, and low wages at 10%.
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The survey also measured public opinion on a proposed constitutional amendment to phase out taxes on homestead property. Initially, when told the amendment would require local governments to use property taxes strictly for core public services, 61% of respondents expressed support and 32% opposed. However, when informed that the measure could result in an estimated $11.8 billion municipal budget shortfall over two years, support dropped to 45%, while opposition rose to 47%.
On emerging technologies, voters expressed split opinions on the broader rollout of artificial intelligence, with 49% supporting and 49% opposing it. However, a strong majority opposed physical development near their homes: 68% of respondents said they would oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, compared to 28% who supported the idea.
The survey was conducted using a mixed-mode design of live telephone interviews and web surveys distributed via text message. The dataset was weighted by educational attainment, partisan registration, age, race and ethnicity, sex, and geographic location to match the population of voters in the 2022 general midterm election. The overall margin of sampling error for the poll is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
READ: Florida GOP Blasts ‘Leadership Blue’ Conference As A Gathering Of ‘Recycled Candidates’
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Byron Donalds Holds 5-Point Lead Over David Jolly In New Florida Gov Poll, Survey Shows
Source: “AOL Breaking”
