Donalds dominating in GOP primary for Florida governor

(CN) — A new Emerson College poll released Thursday found U.S. Representative Byron Donalds far outpaces his opponents in the Florida GOP gubernatorial primary.

A survey of 1,125 likely voters in Florida found that 46% of Republicans support Donalds, who currently represents Florida’s 19th District. This far exceeds the other candidates in the race, none of whom cracked 5%. Donalds was endorsed by President Donald Trump shortly before announcing his candidacy last year.

“Byron Donalds is the clear favorite among Republicans to succeed Governor DeSantis,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement accompanying the poll results. “Donalds leads all age groups and holds majority support among voters over 60, at 54%.”

Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins received 4% support, as did James Fishback, a 31-year-old investor with ties to the far-right “Groyper” movement. Three percent of voters support former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and another 3% back someone else. There’s still room for growth, though, with 39% of Republicans saying they are undecided.

The poll also tested a potential run by Casey DeSantis, the wife of current Governor Ron DeSantis, finding she would receive 7% support, while Donalds would receive 44%.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, the poll found former GOP congressman and Trump critic David Jolly leads Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings 21% to 10%, with 53% undecided.

The poll also looked at hypothetical matchups for the general election. In a race between Donalds and Jolly, 44% said they would support Donalds, while 39% would support Jolly. Two percent would support someone else, and 15% say they are undecided. Donalds beat Demings 45% to 36%, while 19% would support someone else or are undecided.

“Florida Hispanic voters are split between Donalds and Jolly: 42% support Donalds and 41% Jolly,” Kimball said. “Men break for Donalds by 14 points, 49% to 35%, while women break for Jolly by three points, 43% to 40%.”

In hypotheticals for Florida’s Senate race, meanwhile, Republican incumbent Ashley Moody, who was appointed to replace Marco Rubio last year after he became the secretary of state, beat all of her potential Democratic opponents. Moody leads Alex Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel known for testifying against Trump in his first impeachment proceedings, 46% to 38%, and she beat state Representative Angie Nixon 47% to 36%.

Moody also leads former Google executive Hector Mujica, who announced Thursday he was leaving the race to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 45% to 38%.