A new poll shows that Gov. Ron DeSantis is faring much better with Floridians than either of the state’s two U.S. senators.
The poll, released Thursday by Quinnipiac University, shows that DeSantis has the approval of 55 percent of voters, while 22 percent disapprove of him and 23 percent aren’t sure.
The poll shows that 83 percent of Republicans approve of DeSantis and he also scores high among independents, with 51 percent showing approval. Thirty-five percent of Democrats back the governor, while 40 percent disapprove of him.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, the former governor in his first term after defeating Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in a bitter battle, has an approval rating of 41 percent, with 44 percent disapproving of him and 15 percent not sure. Scott nailed down the Republican base with 77 percent of GOP approval, while 74 percent of Democrats disapprove of him. And 35 percent of independents back the former governor, while 49 percent disapprove of him.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio gets mixed marks in the poll – 45 percent approve of him and 41 percent disapprove. Seventy-three percent of Republicans back Rubio, while 66 percent of Democrats disapprove of him. And 41 percent of Independents approve of the longtime senator, while 45 percent aren’t in favor of the job he’s doing.
Neither DeSantis nor the two senators are strangers to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown, though of the three, only Rubio carried the backing of The Villages Developer from the start. In fact, the Developer backed Adam Putnam over DeSantis and Bill McCollum over Scott in his first gubernatorial race. But the Developer shifted his support to Scott when he ran against Democrat Charlie Crist for his second gubernatorial term and backed him again last year when he defeated Nelson.
DeSantis has enjoyed a large base of support in The Villages, thanks in large part to the more than 1,000 members of the Villagers for Trump club. He carried the president’s endorsement as he defeated Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and it didn’t take long for him to earn the support of a great many Republicans in The Villages, which now apparently includes the Developer.
DeSantis, who carried every Villages precinct in last year’s Primary Election over Developer-backed Putnam, has made multiple visits to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. His latest was on June 11, when he signed a Trump-backed bill that eventually could allow Floridians to save money by purchasing their prescription drugs from Canada. He was surrounded by several state-level politicians at that event, as well as Villages Vice President of Community Relations Gary Lester. That visit marked the first time DeSantis stood at a podium with a member of The Villages brass alongside him.
DeSantis was also in The Villages in February when he made a promise to tackle the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs. During that gathering at the Savannah Center while surrounded by members of Villagers for Trump, he promised to work with the Florida Legislature and Trump’s administration to bring all Floridians less expensive, FDA-approved drugs from Canada – an announcement that garnered him several long rounds of applause.
DeSantis also has made several other stops in The Villages. Those included:
- In December 2018, his limited “Thank You” tour included a stop at La Hacienda Recreation Center, where he thanked voters for their support and said he was looking forward to appointing three state supreme court justices.
- A packed-house greeted DeSantis in October 2018 at La Hacienda Recreation center, when the Navy veteran chose to spend some of the crucial final hours of his campaign with Villagers and explain why they should vote for him over Gillum.
- In July 2018, DeSantis appeared at a Villagers for Trump rally at the Laurel Manor Recreation Center on the eve of an appearance with President Trump at a rally in Tampa. In a 20-minute speech that largely secured his support from Villagers for Trump over Putnam, he vowed to help Trump conquer illegal immigration and prevent any sanctuary cities from operating in Florida – a promise he followed through with earlier this month when he signed into law SB 168: Federal Immigration Enforcement.
DeSantis’ wife, Casey, a former television news anchor, also became popular here when she visited with the Republican Federated Women of The Villages this past September. Casey DeSantis, who also appeared onstage with her husband during his two campaign stops, spoke alongside then-Attorney General hopeful Ashley Moody.
Scott, also no stranger to The Villages and highly popular among residents, made an 11th-hour campaign stop at the Eisenhower Recreation Center on the day before the Nov. 6 General Election. And he visited The Villages in September 2018 as part of his limited 10-day statewide campaign aboard the “Make Washington Work Bus Tour.
Developer-backed Rubio sang the praises of former rival Trump and warned Villages Republicans of the danger of losing the House and Senate during the annual Lincoln Day Dinner in March 2018. And in May 2018, he touted Veterans Affairs reform during a visit to American Legion Post 347 in Lady Lake. He said his reasons for visiting Post 347 were simple – it’s the largest lodge in the world and is growing, “which is indicative of where the VA’s priorities should be focused in years to come, having facilities near where veteran populations might be growing.”
