A University of North Florida poll showed Republicans Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody ahead in Florida\u2019s top statewide races.<\/p>\n
The survey found Donalds leading Democrat David Jolly 46% to 41% among likely Florida midterm voters.<\/p>\n
Another 5% supported someone else, 2% would not vote, and 6% remained undecided.<\/p>\n
Donalds entered the race with President Donald Trump\u2019s endorsement and later received DeSantis\u2019 endorsement after winning the primary.<\/p>\n
Jolly previously served in Congress as a Republican, later left the party, and now campaigns as a Democrat.<\/p>\n
Moody was appointed in January 2025 after Marco Rubio resigned from the Senate to become Secretary of State.<\/p>\n
Donalds promotes tax reductions, insurance changes, government accountability, and healthcare price transparency during his campaign.<\/p>\n
Jolly emphasizes affordability, education, housing, and insurance reform while presenting himself as a centrist despite switching parties.<\/p>\n
Donald\u2019s strategist Ryan Smith attacked Jolly\u2019s \u201cself-described \u2018far left\u2019 policies\u201d while praising Donalds\u2019 affordability and public-safety agenda.<\/p>\n
Smith said Donalds would pursue policies making Florida \u201csafer, healthier, and more affordable,\u201d according to the campaign.<\/p>\n
The Donalds campaign said that it had raised more than $100 million for its statewide effort.<\/p>\n
It also reported volunteers had knocked on more than 300,000 doors when the UNF survey was released.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Donalds went viral after an appearance on\u00a0HBO\u2019s \u201cReal Time\u201d with host Bill Maher.<\/p>\n
Donalds, who is black, pushed back on Maher\u2019s suggestion that race played a role in Donalds\u2019 performance in parts of the state during the recent primary.<\/p>\n
Appearing on the show, Donalds rejected Maher\u2019s assertion that he lost counties in Florida\u2019s Panhandle in part because the region has a predominantly White electorate.<\/p>\n
Donalds disputed that characterization of the results and challenged the suggestion that racism was responsible for his weaker showing in those areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did lose the \u2018Redneck Riviera\u2019 badly,\u201d Maher said, referring to Donalds\u2019 losses in Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Washington counties, rural counties where roughly 94% of Republican voters are White.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t get with you on a lot of this policy stuff,\u201d Maher continued. \u201cBut I think it would be great if the country did have [its] first Black, Republican governor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maher went on to heap praise on Donalds for his willingness to run in \u201cthis post-racial world\u201d where constituents don\u2019t care about the \u201ccolor of their skin.\u201d<\/p>\n
But then Maher claimed, \u201cwe\u2019re not quite there yet though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Redneck Riviera, which is the Panhandle,\u201d Maher began.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there are people there who still would not \u2014 you\u2019re a Republican, you\u2019re a Trumper \u2014 they should love you and they don\u2019t. I think there is still racism,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s talk a little bit about the Panhandle,\u201d Donalds replied, beginning his rebuttal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are counties we did incredibly well in that we won. There were some counties that we fell a little short in, that\u2019s OK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Donalds went on to note that his victory came within a crowded field of 11 GOP candidates \u201cwho had various lines of support.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe No. 1 thing overall, we closed out 48% of the vote in Florida,\u201d Donalds said. \u201cEight hundred thousand votes [is] a long way to becoming the nominee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donalds countered Maher\u2019s claim that racial bias affected the primary results, emphasizing that Florida is a state where anyone can seek opportunities in elected office.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlorida really has become the microcosm of what we all want,\u201d Donalds said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a meritocracy,\u201d Donalds continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s about the best person with the best views, the best skills, the best talent moving forward to represent your state or to represent a district in your state, and Florida exemplifies that,\u201d he said at the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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