A new Mason-Dixon poll released Tuesday finds a majority of Florida voters approve of the job Gov. Ron DeSantis is doing.The survey of 625 voters found 53% approve of his job performance, while 42% disapprove and 5% were unsure. That number is down from a 62% approval rate in March 2019, but up from a 45% approval rate in July 2020.
The polling was broken down by regions. In the greater Tampa Bay region, DeSantis' approval rating was 58%.
The poll also indicates he is currently the leading contender in theoretical races against the best known possible Democratic gubernatorial candidates in 2022.
DeSantis leads Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in a theoretical matchup by 51%-42%. Fried is currently the only Democrat that holds a statewide office in Florida.
In a theoretical matchup against Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, DeSantis holds a 52%-41% advantage. Crist is a former Republican Florida governor who switched parties.
The poll was conducted Feb. 24-28 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. of Jacksonville and is said to have a margin for error rate of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
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