Poll: Donald Trump may like Byron Donalds for Governor. But his voters like Casey DeSantis better

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 3/7/23-Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis holds son Mason as they are recognized by Gov. Ron DeSantis while he delivers the State of the State address during the opening day of the 2023 Florida Legislative Session, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Donald Trump’s voters may need some convincing to back his preferred candidate in the 2026 Governor’s race.

New polling from the University of North Florida (UNF) shows 57% of Trump voters approve of First Lady Casey DeSantis, while just 4% disapprove of her. This puts her above any other potential 2026 GOP candidate polled.

The poll was released just hours after Trump took to Truth Social to boost the potential candidacy of Byron Donalds. The Republican Congressman from Southwest Florida does respectably well in the survey, with 3 in 10 Trump voters approving of the Congressman and just 2% disapproving. But that puts Donalds far from DeSantis’ +53.

Donalds’ approval number is likely to increase if Trump engages more in the race, as he is teasing he might, but for now the First Lady is best positioned.

UNF tracked three other potential candidates as well.

The best performer of the remainder was just appointed to the U.S. Senate: former Attorney General Ashley Moody. The Plant City Republican is favored by 36% of Trump voters, while just 3% dislike her.

That said, all indications are that she is going to run again for Senate next year. Two federal committees (Ashley Moody Victory Fund and Moody for Florida) were formed last month to boost the inevitable campaign.

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz also has a 36% approval rating among Trump voters. But his negatives also stand out, as 21% of the group disfavors the onetime nominee for U.S. Attorney General.

Finally, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has the heaviest lift when it comes to letting voters know who he is. Simpson, a former Senate President from Trilby, has 6% approval and 2% disapproval among Trump supporters in last year’s election. Meanwhile, more than 3 in 4 voters don’t know who he is.

The survey was in the field from Feb. 5 through Feb. 14.