Democrat Andrew Gillum has opened up a big lead in the Florida governor race
Andrew Gillum is on track to become Florida's next governor.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows that the Tallahassee mayor, who unexpectedly won the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary last month, is 9 points ahead of Republican challenger Rep. Ron DeSantis. Support for the candidates is pretty staunchly divided along party lines, but independents are strongly in Gillum's favor, 56 percent to DeSantis' 40 percent.
Gillum, a progressive Democrat with Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) endorsement, was far from a shoo-in to win the Democratic primary last month. Yet since his win, Gillum has pulled ahead of the President Trump-backed DeSantis. A Quinnipiac poll released Sept. 4 put Gillum 3 points ahead of DeSantis, and an NBC News/Marist poll out Tuesday had him 5 points up among likely voters.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Wednesday's Quinnipiac poll shows that 54 percent of likely voters would opt for Gillum, while 45 percent prefer DeSantis. Gillum is also looking more positive to voters overall, drawing in a 55 percent favorability rating to DeSantis' 42 percent. Of those likely voters, 94 percent say they're decided on their vote.
Those results aren't as good as DeSantis' camp should expect, seeing as he's far outspent Gillum on TV ads, a Quinnipiac poll director says. Gillum's pay-less approach proved similarly successful during the Democratic primary.
Quinnipiac surveyed 888 likely voters by landlines or cellphone from Sept. 20-24 with a 4-point margin of error. See more results here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published