I'd love to have him as FL's next governor. I'm not one for polls, but I believe this should be fairly accurate as his opposition is minimal.
POLL: Byron Donalds surges to commanding lead in Florida GOP gubernatorial primary after Trump endorsement U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has vaulted to a dominant position in the race for Florida’s Republican gubernatorial nomination, capturing 47% support among likely GOP primary voters when informed of President Donald Trump’s endorsement, according to a new poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab. Casey DeSantis trails far behind at 12%, while James Fishback registers in the single digits at 5%.
The survey, conducted February 16-20, 2026, among 657 likely Republican primary voters, highlights the significant impact of Trump’s backing in a crowded field. Without the endorsement information, Donalds held a narrower lead at 28%, with DeSantis close behind at 24%. Other candidates, including Lt Gov. Jay Collins at 3%, former House Speaker Paul Renner at less than 1%, and Fishback at 4%, struggled to gain traction, as 36% of respondents remained undecided.
When pollsters removed DeSantis from the hypothetical ballot, noting she has not publicly expressed intent to run, Donalds’ support edged up to 31%, but undecided voters swelled to 51%, underscoring her lingering influence despite her unannounced status.
“Casey DeSantis’s entrance into the race is still possible, though she hasn’t been engaged in the fundraising we’d expect from someone interested in running,” commented Dr. Sean Freeder, PORL director and professor of political science. “Still, given her level of name recognition and the impact that has on voters, she’ll remain a factor at least until the June 15 filing deadline.”
The poll’s most striking shift occurred when respondents learned of Trump’s endorsement of Donalds, boosting the congressman’s support by 19 points while slashing DeSantis’ to 12%. Fishback saw a modest bump to 5%, Collins held at 2%, and Renner at 1%, with 28% still undecided.
“When all candidates are from the same party, voters lose their most important decision-making cue, and endorsements usually fill that vacuum,” said Freeder. “Given Trump’s notoriety and high popularity among Republicans, an endorsement from him is likely to decide the race, especially when Donalds has the campaign funds to heavily advertise this advantage to voters.”
The survey also probed the relative weight of endorsements from Trump and outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis. Despite Trump’s endorsement propelling Donalds forward, 42% of respondents said a DeSantis endorsement would matter more to them, compared to 32% for Trump, with 18% unsure.
Freeder suggested this discrepancy might reflect curiosity rather than preference.
“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. This would explain Donalds’ clean advantage over Casey DeSantis.”
Demographically, the poll reveals Donalds’ broad appeal. With the Trump endorsement factored in, he garners 48% among men and 46% among women, 50% among those 55 and older, and strong majorities in rural (47%) and urban (46%) areas. Support is particularly high among white voters at 50% and in South Florida at 54%. DeSantis, by contrast, performs better among Hispanics/Latinos at 24% and in Central Florida at 28%............
https://flvoicenews.com/poll-byron-donalds-surges-to-commanding-lead-in-florida-gop-gubernatorial-primary-after-trump-endorsement/
