Gov. DeSantis draws strong approval ratings in Duval County

Ron DeSantis. Image via AP.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was not the choice of Duval County voters in 2018, but polling says that nearly two years later more than half of voters approve of the Governor’s performance.

St. Pete Polls surveyed 749 likely voters Sept. 24, and the autodial poll found Gov. DeSantis at 51% approval, against 41% disapproval.

DeSantis’ political honeymoon ended some months back, and his polling has sagged statewide, but the recent survey suggests the Governor has won over at least some skeptics in Jacksonville and its beach communities.

The Governor has shown Duval County love throughout the extraordinary period of government intervention occasioned by COVID-19, often cobranding with Republican Mayor Lenny Curry and finding a generally friendly press corps in the city.

Republicans buy into this Governor according to this survey. Of those polled, over 82% approve of him, with just 14% opposed.

Reflecting what has in recent history been a right-of-center cadre of independents in Northeast Florida, DeSantis is still above water with independent voters, with 48% approval against 43% disapproval among the 118 surveyed.

And despite his repeated plays to national conservative media figures, DeSantis has some traction with Democrats also. Of those polled, DeSantis has the approval of 24%, albeit against a robust 65% disapproval.

While there is no gender gap for DeSantis, with the Governor at +11 with both men and women, the Governor is doing well with white voters, with 63% approval against 33% disapproval among the 465 surveyed

The Governor struggles with Black voters, meanwhile. Just 25% of 204 polled approve of the Governor, with 63% disapproving.

When looking at respondents in terms of age cohort, the Governor is above water with all but his own.

With voters 29 years of age and under, DeSantis enjoys 52% approval against just 36% disapproval among the 83 polled.

Among  voters 50 to 69 years old, the Governor finds his sweet spot, with 57% approval against 37% disapproval among the 281 respondents.

Voters 70 and over see DeSantis favorably also, with 53% of the 131 in that age group approving of the Governor.

But among voters 30 to 49 years of age, the Governor is underwater, with 47% disapproval against 43% approval.

The margin of error on this survey was 3.6%.