Florida first lady Casey DeSantis speaks at a presidential campaign event for Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 2, 2023, in South Carolina. | Artie Walker Jr., AP
Published on July 24, 2025 at 9:56 am
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A poll of registered Republicans in Florida conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab finds first lady Casey DeSantis is their top choice for governor next year.
About 32% said if the election were today, they would vote for her. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is close behind, with 29% support.
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Notably, Donalds holds a 15-point lead over the first lady among people who voted in the last primary, so UNF pollster Mike Binder says, “It’s likely those same folks will be the ones voting next August, so this race might not actually be as close as it appears.”
At the same time, though, 40% of the GOP voters said they’ve never heard of Donalds, who represents part of Southwest Florida in Congress.
Poll respondents also said the top issue Floridians face is property insurance, followed by housing costs and immigration.
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A majority approve of how immigration enforcement has been handled in Florida, including the new detention center that DeSantis calls “Alligator Alcatraz.”
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