A new poll suggests that Republican voters in Florida want to keep a DeSantis in the governor’s mansion, even after the current one is forced to leave.
The Florida Standard reported on Tuesday that First Lady Casey DeSantis is the top choice among GOP candidates in the 2026 gubernatorial race, according to a survey by the University of North Florida.
DeSantis was the first choice among nine candidates listed by UNF, receiving support from 22% of respondents.
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That was far ahead of GOP Reps. Byron Donalds of Naples and Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach, who each got 9%.
Other notables in UNF’s poll included Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez (2%), Attorney general Ashley Moody (6%), Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (3%) and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson (1%).
Yet the bulk of respondents had not made up their minds yet.
Overall, 40% of GOP voters were undecided or declined to answer.
The poll also found that an endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis would be pivotal. Roughly two-thirds of respondents (68%) said that Ron’s backing would influence their vote either a “great deal” or at least “some.”
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“We’re obviously still a ways out from the governor’s race, and this pool of candidates will certainly change before 2026,” observed Michael Binder, faculty director of UNF’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
“For now, it seems Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis is an early favorite among Republican primary voters – wouldn’t that be interesting, potentially having the DeSantises in the governor’s mansion for another 11 years.”
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