Jacob Ogles
Florida voters want business taxes — and court-ordered damages — to remain low in the Sunshine State. And a plurality want Republicans to remain in charge of the government.
That’s according to polling just released by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which shows voters still hold nearly universal trust in the state’s business community even as feelings about other institutions wane.
In total, about 85% of Florida voters have a favorable view of local business, and 84% trust private sector business while 79% voice trust in the nonprofit sector.
“Florida local business leaders do far more than create jobs, pay taxes and innovate, they give back through countless volunteer hours and investing in their communities through charities and non-profits,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber. “So, it is no surprise to see how positively voters see these local business leaders who are also community and state leaders.”
That appears to correlate with voters continuing to lean Republican. Presented a generic ballot test, 48% of voters expressed support for Republican candidates, compared to just 41% who demonstrated loyalty to Democrats.
Pollsters at Cherry Communications report a margin of error of +/- 4%. The 600-voter polling sample included 263 Republicans, 216 Democrats and 121 third- and no-party voters.
The poll also found support remains for legislation to curb lawsuit abuse enacted in 2023. About 11% of voters felt the efforts to curb frivolous litigation went too far, about a third the number of respondents who strongly supported the change to state law.
Of note, a similar 11% of voters believe personal injury lawyers advertising services are more interested in protecting the rights of citizens, while 74% say those attorneys are chiefly interested in making money. The anti-attorney sentiment was prevalent among 83% of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliated voters.
Similarly, voters weren’t keen on journalists, with roughly the same percentage (48%) saying they trust the media as those who say they don’t trust media at all.
Notably, the poll also found majority support for legalizing marijuana, but at levels still well short of the needed 60% support needed to pass a constitutional amendment in a statewide election. The poll found 55% support for legalization, slightly lower than the 56% support Amendment 3 in the November election, which would have legalized most recreational adult use.
“The lack of support from Floridians over the past two years comes despite more than $150 million being spent to try and pass the amendment during the 2024 election, over $145 million of which came from Florida’s largest medicinal marijuana provider,” a polling release states. “This failure to build momentum for the amendment in polling displays that the more voters learn about legalizing recreational marijuana, the less they like about legalizing marijuana.”
The Florida Chamber has supported extending enhanced premium tax credits to help with health care premium costs, which are set to expire at the end of 2025. The poll shows voters support extending the credits by a 4-to-1 margin, with support spanning all demographics and party lines, though breakdowns were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, the poll found a public divided about the ramifications of artificial intelligence. About 38% have an unfavorable impression of AI right now, while 37% have positive vibes. The division that breaks evenly among voters regardless of party.
