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Ron DeSantis Approval Rating Dips as COVID-19 Cases Surge in Florida

ⓒ Stephen Helfrich

The approval ratings of Governor Ron DeSantis are trending downward according to new figures by St. Pete Polls. The poll was conducted among 3,952 likely Florida voters earlier in the month of August, surveying a group that comprised of 38.6% Republicans, 36.5% Democrats, and 25.0% Independents. Each such figure fell within 3.2% of Florida’s registered voter demographics.

Five questions were asked of respondents, the results coming out as follows:

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  1. When schools start classes later this month in Florida, do you think that masks should be required for all children?
    • Yes – 62.0%
    • No – 31.9%
    • Unsure – 6.1%
  2. Do you approve of the job Ron DeSantis is doing as Governor?
    • Yes – 43.7%
    • No – 48.5%
    • Unsure – 7.9%
  3. Do you approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as President?
    • Yes – 48.8%
    • No – 45.7%
    • Unsure – 5.6%
  4. If the election for Governor of Florida were held today, and the candidates were Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Charlie Crist, who would you vote for?
    • Ron DeSantis – 43.8%
    • Charlie Crist – 45.3%
    • Undecided – 10.8%
  5. If the election for Governor of Florida were held today, and the candidates were Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Nikki Fried, who would you vote for?
    • Ron DeSantis – 45.1%
    • Nikki Fried – 41.8%
    • Undecided – 13.1%

As reported by FloridaPolitics.com, DeSantis’s 43.7% approval rating is down from 55% in a May poll conducted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Though respondents were not asked the reasoning for their answers, the dip in the Governor’s popularity correlates with a quickly rising number of COVID-19 cases. DeSantis disagreed with categorizations that the surge is on his shoulders. “Why don’t you do your job?” DeSantis implored of President Biden, a vocal critic of the Governor’s Covid response, on Wednesday. “Why don’t you get this border secure and until you do that, I don’t want to hear a blip about Covid from you.”

Read More: Ron DeSantis Sees Approval Ratings Jump In Recent Poll (May 2021)

As shown in the poll results, Biden’s approval numbers in Florida also hover below 50.0%, but still hold a little higher than DeSantis’s. The margin of error on the poll was listed at 1.6%.

Governor DeSantis is already facing two major challengers in his 2022 re-election campaign: former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and current Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. Both are running against DeSantis as Democrats, but Crist was a Republican at the time of his governorship. This is third bid for the office, his first being successful and his second seeing him lose to Rick Scott in the general election.

Fried has elevated her profile not only as the lone statewide-elected Democrat in Florida, but as a sharp critic of Governor DeSantis’s COVID-19 response. In May of 2020, Fried said of DeSantis, “In the critical four months of this pandemic, this Cabinet has been left in the dark.” 

In addition to his re-election hopes, Ron DeSantis is also seen as a prime candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination should former President Donald Trump not decide to run again. DeSantis has closely aligned himself with Trump’s policies since his campaign for Governor in 2018, and has seen himself become a rising star in the party ever since. Before being elected to the governorship, DeSantis served as the congressional representative of Florida’s 6th district, an area that covers Flagler County along with Volusia and parts of St Johns and Lake counties. He was succeeded in the seat by Michael Waltz.

Written By

Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.

15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. TR

    August 6, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    These numbers are a bunch of BS. Here’s how you stop the increase of cases throughout the USA. Close the border completely and stop transporting immigrants throughout the USA. End of increasing number of covid cases and the rest of the people can go back to a normal life. Period.

    • Sam Bival

      August 8, 2021 at 5:10 pm

      The media I listen to was clear that I could still catch and spread COVID after being vaccinated. However, the vaccine greatly reduces my likelihood of being hospitalized. In Jacksonville 96% of those in the hospital are unvaccinated people. That is why you need to get the vaccine.

      I am double vaccinated, but I still wear my mask and I still distance when possible to protect people like you who are horribly uninformed and a little too willing to spread disinformation. Your welcome.

    • GK

      August 10, 2021 at 10:32 pm

      The BS in those numbers are nothing compared to the BS located inside that idiotic remark you call a comment. When things go wrong, blame immigrants, because the unvaccinated dingbats couldn’t POSSIBLY be the contributing factor. SMH

    • TA

      August 11, 2021 at 2:39 am

      TR !!!!!! Your just a idiot…. I truly hope you don’t DIE because of your Irrational ignorance . COVID is not Discriminate hopefully you don’t come back on here just to report how someone you loved caught COVID and died I truly know your to misinformed on the seriousness of COVID and yet to stupid to know that it will kill you ! With that said go back to sticking your head up TRUMPS a.. !!

      • TR

        August 13, 2021 at 3:42 pm

        TA and erobot,
        Typical for the idiots that believe that the shots will save you. Just like the same idiots that start name calling because they don’t want to hear the real truth. I will not come one here and tell you someone I love has died from Covid because well all didn’t and won’t get any of the shots. However, you won’t be able to do the same and when you die because of getting health complications from the shot that you or your loved ones got then you can take your head out of the puppeteer a@@ that talked the false BS into convincing you to get the shot. But by then it will be to late. Good luck and nice talking to you. Haha

    • erobot

      August 11, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      Correct!

    • null

      August 26, 2021 at 11:06 am

      Always blame the immigrants. They r always an easy target. Look to urself and what u r doing to stop Covid. Blame is in affective no matter where unless u r doing something to help in right way. Blaming immigrants is clearly not the issue. No one is coming to florida I rest my case

      • TR

        August 27, 2021 at 9:32 am

        Your so wrong and stupid. No one that I know of is blaming the immigrants per say. They are blaming Biden for allowing the invasion of immigrants in the US without testing of Covid. Oh you are soooooooo wrong about no immigrants coming to Florida. Maybe get your head out of your a** and go to a airport in Miami and watch how many come of a plane.
        But not expecting anything from your case to be correct when you type on a computer like you’re texting on your phone.
        I REST MY CASE, PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. RH

    August 6, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    @TR – Wait….what?

  3. Joey Callo

    August 7, 2021 at 9:20 am

    TR, Your simplistic explanation is racist nonsense. The majority of covid and it’s spread in the US is a result of mostly trumpers and associated right wingers refusal to get vaccinated or wear a mask.

    • TR

      August 7, 2021 at 1:02 pm

      (Joey)Not true. but you believe your left wing theories all you want. You could also get ready to eat crow when the truth about the vaccines really comes out. BTW you might want to add salt.

      • Null

        August 26, 2021 at 11:10 am

        U r a complete idiot. Truth abt vaccines? Smallpox, polio,diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus those were mandatory vaccines. Don’t need smallpox anymore bec it was wiped from face of earth bec of administered vaccines

    • TR

      August 7, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      (Joey)Not true. but you believe your left wing theories all you want. You could also get ready to eat crow when the truth about the vaccines really comes out. BTW you might want to add salt. Would like to add. The media and the left wanted everyone to believe that the vaccines would prevent you from getting covid, which turned out to be false. Look how many people already got a shot and still got covid? Wake up people, the puppet administration wants everyone to get vaccinated because it attacks your immune system so your body can not fight diseases and eventually kill you.

      • IW

        August 16, 2021 at 5:21 pm

        TR dude, just shut up. You’re the most moronic piece of ill-informed garbage on here with no facts to back up. How about this. Go to your local hospital and ask a doctor how this pandemic has affected them and their staff instead of watching fox news or OAN or Newsmax. I assure you you will be pleasantly surprised at how wrong you are.

        • TR

          August 18, 2021 at 7:52 am

          How about you shut up and Kiss my ares because your about as idiotic as the rest left wing idiots. Maybe get your facts straight first. But then again I don’t expect anything less from the cnn and the msnbc brain washed puppets.

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