Drew Wilson
Florida voters continue to give Ron DeSantis a passing grade.
The latest Associated Industries of Florida Center for Political Strategy poll shows the Governor at 53% approval and 47% disapproval. This +6 margin reflects steady in-state support even as his national profile cools.
The finding is consistent with other recent surveys. An April Morning Consult tracking poll had DeSantis at 54% approval and 41% disapproval (+13), placing him mid-pack among U.S. governors. That +2 bump from the end of 2024 kept him tied with California Gov. Gavin Newsom — but also made him the sixth-most unpopular Governor nationwide by disapproval.
A May Florida Chamber survey likewise pegged DeSantis at 54% approval, with 49% of Floridians saying the state is on the right track. Still, only 48% said the same about the direction of the country — a dead-even split with those saying the U.S. is on the wrong track.
While DeSantis maintains a firm grip on Republican voters — he’s at 87% approval in the AIF poll — his broader image has plateaued after his high-water mark in early 2020, when he hit 63% approval against just 25% disapproval.
The trajectory speaks to his durability in Florida but also to the limits of his crossover appeal — a reality that’s become clearer as he pivots back to governing and away from the national spotlight.
A YouGov national poll from late April adds more texture. DeSantis is the top-performing Republican among self-described conservatives at +78, edging out Vice President J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr. by a single point. Among the “very conservative,” he ranks third — behind President Donald Trump and Vance, who both sit at +92, compared to DeSantis’ +80.
That conservative base props him up in GOP circles, but his numbers among the general electorate aren’t as rosy — he was at 39% approval vs. 41% disapproval nationally in April.
The AIF poll was conducted June 9-11 by McLaughlin & Associates. It has a sample size of 800 likely Florida voters, with a margin of error of ±3.5 %.
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Florida Politics reporter A.G. Gancarski contributed to this post.
2 comments
Mike Jones
July 9, 2025 at 7:25 am
Of course he is above water in Florida. He is very popular here and so many have fled Newsom and Hocul world to come here.
Bill
July 9, 2025 at 8:33 am
Ummm … okay.
“Researchers discovered that in 2023, 637,000 people moved in—which was only half as many as the year before. But nearly as many, 511,000, moved out. It was the largest drop in net migration in a decade.”