Poll: Ashley Moody holds double-digit lead in re-election bid

Ashley Moody.

Florida’s Attorney General is on her way to re-election, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The survey from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Laboratory shows Republican Ashley Moody, a former prosecutor and judge from Plant City seeking a second term as AG, receiving 50% support. Moody’s Democratic challenger, Aramis Ayala, a former State Attorney from Orlando, drew just 36%. An additional 13% didn’t know who they would back.

Moody’s greatest strongholds, per this survey, are among White voters and men. White voters preferred Moody 60% to 29%. A full 54% of male voters backed Moody, with 28% supporting Ayala. No-party voters also resoundingly preferred Moody, 44% to 30%.

Most age groups preferred the incumbent, but 18- to 24-year-old voters broke strongly for Ayala, who drew 61% support, with just 6% for Moody.

UNF’s pollster Michael Binder said Cabinet races like this one “come down to who turns out the most voters — Republicans or Democrats — and it looks like Republicans are going to win that fight.”

UNF polled 622 likely voters with live-dial interviews between Oct. 17 and 24. The results track with other public polls showing Moody ahead.

Moody was up over Ayala, 41% to 34%, in a Spectrum News/Siena College Poll released early in October that correlated in meaningful ways to this survey.

That poll showed independent voters supporting Moody, 39% to 23%. Male voters likewise chose Moody over Ayala by nearly a two-to-one margin. Moody drew 46% support against just 24% for Ayala, with the remainder undecided, saying they won’t vote, or saying they backed another candidate.

As Election Day approaches next month, Moody has resources Ayala won’t be able to match, with more than $2.9 million on hand in her Friends of Ashley Moody political committee, and more than $900,000 available in her campaign account.

Ayala has a little less than $53,000 in her campaign account.