Politics
Ron DeSantis still above water in Florida
He’s at +6 heading into the last leg of his second term.
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.
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