Florida Republicans trust a DeSantis endorsement more than Trump's

A new public opinion survey of likely Republican voters in Florida shows once again that Byron Donalds continues to benefit from the endorsement he received from Donald Trump in the race for governor this November.

The poll from the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida finds that once GOP voters are informed that Donalds is backed by Trump, he gains 47% support to just 12% for First Lady Casey DeSantis, who is not an announced candidate for the seat.

Investment firm CEO James Fishback is third with 5%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins is at 2%, and former Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner is at 1%.

Before voters are informed in the UNF poll that Donalds has already been endorsed by Trump, however, his lead over Mrs. DeSantis is just four points, 28%-24%.

When Florida GOP voters were asked whose endorsement would matter more to them, 42% chose Gov. Ron DeSantis, while 32% said Trump.

DeSantis has not endorsed any candidate to succeed him as governor so far.

“That DeSantis’s endorsement edges out Trump’s in terms of importance may be less about voters’ preference for DeSantis’s opinion and more about their curiosity about it, given Trump’s opinion is already public knowledge,” said Dr. Sean Freeder, the poll’s director and a professor of political science.

“This would explain Donalds’ clean advantage over Casey DeSantis once the Trump endorsement is known, as her husband’s endorsement is surely assumed, should she run.”

Trump’s endorsement of Donalds a year ago has effectively frozen the race in Donalds’ favor.

Eight years ago, Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis, then a not-so-well known congressman from Northeast Florida, catapulted him to a victory over Adam Putnam in the Republican primary for governor. DeSantis narrowly defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum in the general election.

The poll consisted of 657 likely Republican voters conducted between Feb. 16-20. The margin of error is +/- 4.38 points.