Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis most favored among potential GOP candidates
The 2026 primary for governor is a year-and-a-half away, but for now Florida's First Lady is first in favorability, according to the latest poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL).
Of respondents who are registered Republicans, 57% said they had a favorable opinion of Casey DeSantis. Overall, 30% were favorable, 22% said unfavorable, and 33% had never heard of her, the numbers show.
“Casey DeSantis was the top early pick for potential Republican primary candidates when we asked back in late 2023, albeit with only 22% support,” PORL faculty director and professor of political science Dr. Michael Binder said in a statement.
“She likely enjoys some favorability by association as Florida’s first lady,” Binder added, “but most of these potentialcandidates suffer from a lack of recognition, some suffering more than others. That said, I expect we’ll see a few of them become household names by the time the August 2026 primary rolls around.”
For instance, Casey DeSantis had the best rating of those speculated to be considering a 2026 run for governor. Among registered Republicans, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody had 35% favorability, former U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz had 33%, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds had 27% and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson was at 7%, the poll shows.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/poll-casey-desantis-leads-gop-field-many-remain-unknown-to-voters/78993164007/
Ick. Just ick -- but then they all suck. Simpson's only redeeming quality is that DeSantis hates him, and vice versa. What is interesting is that 1/3 of those polled didn't know who Casey DeSantis is; those are the Republicans who put the "Duh" in "Floriduh".
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