Both DeSantis, Trump lose some luster among Floridians: poll

Both former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have lost some luster among Floridians, according to a recent poll.

The Mainstreet Research and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) poll found Trump’s unfavorability at 55 percent among Florida voters, up from 47 percent in the early summer. His favorability was down to 43 percent from 50 percent in early summer.

The Sunshine State’s own governor, DeSantis, also lost some goodwill from his constituents. Fifty percent of Florida voters said they approved of his job as governor in the recent poll, down from 54 percent in early summer. The disapproval of his job as governor rose from 43 percent to 49 percent.

President Biden is even less popular. Sixty-two percent of voters said they disapproved of how he is handling his job as president, while only 36 percent said they approved of his job performance.

In a hypothetical presidential matchup with Biden, both DeSantis and Trump came out ahead of the current president in the new poll. Trump polled ahead of Biden by 10 percent, while DeSantis was ahead of the president by eight points. The governor was polling 13 percent ahead of Biden head-to-head in the early summer poll.

Trump continues to enjoy a large lead in the GOP polls, despite mounting legal troubles and a series of criminal trials on the horizon. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was surpassed DeSantis for second place in some crucial early state polls.

The recent FAU and Mainstreet Research poll was conducted between Oct. 27 and Nov. 11, featuring responses from 946 Florida adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.