Trump pick Desantis leads governors’ poll
President Donald Trump’s choice for governor leads in the latest poll of Florida Republicans as more and more voters make up their minds.
Governor candidate Ron DeSantis had support of 36 percent of Florida Republicans in the poll released Wednesday by Florida Atlantic University.
Adam Putnam had 27 percent.
Both candidates have gained support since the last FAU poll on May 8, but DeSantis has gained much more support than Putnam as undecided voters make their choice ahead of the Aug. 28 primary.
In the July poll, 23 percent were undecided, compared with 43 percent in May.
In the previous poll, the candidates were essentially tied: 16 percent for DeSantis and 15 percent for Putnam.
The latest survey of 262
Republican registered voters from the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points, which means the contest could be significantly closer — or much farther apart.
The survey was conducted online and through automated calls to people with landline telephones on Friday and Saturday.
Trump tweeted last year that DeSantis “would make a GREAT Governor of Florida.” DeSantis is a congressman from a northeast Florida district anchored by Daytona Beach.
Since the May poll, DeSantis has benefited from a renewed dose of support from Trump: an official presidential endorsement in June, a rally with Donald Trump Jr., and a Tampa Bay rally with the president next week.
Putnam, the state agriculture commissioner and former congressman, has had some bouts of negative publicity, including his agency’s failure to properly conduct background checks for people seeking concealed weapons permits and a former employee’s claim the agency rushed gun license applications.