TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Speculation of Gov. Ron DeSantis running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has circled for months.
In June, DeSantis beat former President Donald Trump in a straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit, but a new poll shows the enthusiasm may be waning.
A Quinnipiac University pollof 889 self-identified registered voters in Florida found that 59% opposed a DeSantis presidential run.
Quinnipiac says the surveys took place from Aug. 17-21 and there is a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.
Of Republicans polled, 67% were in favor of a DeSantis run, while 96% of Democrats and 61% of independents were against it.
Why the lack of support from his home state? It could have something to do with the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and his battle with school districts over mask mandates.
A different Quinnipiac poll found that 61% of Floridians believe the rise of coronavirus cases was preventable, 59% percent say the spread of COVID-19 in the state is out of control, while 34% say it is under control.
Voters were also asked if they believe DeSantis is helping or hurting efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Forty-six percent said he's hurting those efforts, 41% said he was helping them and 12% are undecided.
DeSantis is currently battling several school districts across the state and a lawsuit from parents over his ban of mask mandates in school.
When asked whether they support the governor's threat to withhold school leader salaries if they require students to wear masks, 69% said no, 25% yes, and 6% are undecided.
