David Jolly holds narrow edge over Jerry Demings in latest poll of Democratic Governor Primary

Former U.S. Rep. David jolly holds a narrow lead in the Democratic Primary for Governor, according to a new poll.

A new Mason-Dixon poll of registered Democrats shows 23% would support Jolly if a Primary were held today. By comparison, 19% favor Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. The remaining 58% of voters list themselves as undecided.

Pollsters conducted the phone survey of 400 registered Democratic voters Jan. 8-13.

While Jolly holds the edge, it falls within the poll’s 5% margin of error.

Both candidates have been campaigning for months. Jolly filed for Governor in June last year, while Demings threw his hat in the ring in November.

But a majority of Democrats remain unfamiliar with either candidate.

Pollsters also measured favorability ratings for both candidates. About 55% didn’t recognize Jolly’s name, while 60% were unfamiliar with Demings.

Both remain above water among voters who are familiar with them.

About 19% of voters have a favorable view of Jolly, who has appeared regularly on MS Now, formerly MSNBC. Only 4% of respondents had a negative view of Jolly, while 22% recognized him but considered themselves neutral about him.

As for Demings, 15% of Democrats hold a positive view, according to the poll, compared to just 2% with negative feelings about him. Another 23% of respondents said they knew who Demings was but felt neutral about him as a candidate.

The Primary for Governor, scheduled for Aug. 18, will be open to only registered Democrats.

Democrats hope for a strong backlash to President Donald Trump’s policies in the 2026 Midterms. But it could be an uphill race for Democrats as Florida Republicans continue to grow their edge in voter registrations in the Sunshine State.

The last Governor’s race without an incumbent running was in 2018, when Republican Ron DeSantis won by a recount margin over Democrat Andrew Gillum. But DeSantis won re-election in 2022 by a landslide.