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Brief
The latest major survey of Florida’s gubernatorial election shows Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis tied at 47 percent, with five percent undecided.
The survey by St. Pete Polls of 2,240 likely voters in Florida took place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, which mean some voters were likely polled after Gillum and DeSantis selected their running mates for the November 6 election.
The new poll is the best showing for DeSantis since both men were nominated as their respective nominees for governor on August 28.
A total of four polls have now been released since last week’s primary election, with Gillum leading in all but the current one.
A Public Policy Polling survey released last week showed Gillum leading DeSantis, 48 percent to 43 percent.
A Gravis Marketing Poll released this week had Gillum leading DeSantis, 50 percent to 47 percent.
And a Quinnipiac survey released earlier this week showed Gillum leading up over DeSantis by a narrow 50 percent to 47 percent margin.
With 60 days leading up to the general election, the campaign is just getting started.
On Thursday, Gillum chose Winter Park affordable housing executive Chris King to serve as his lieutenant governor, while DeSantis chose Miami state Representative Jeanette Nunez.
Republicans are pushing the theory that Gillum is a socialist who can’t be trusted to run Florida.
At a “unity rally” in Orlando on Thursday, Rick Scott said, “If the Democrats get their way, not just in Florida, but across the nation, they will push radical, left-wing policies that led to what we are seeing places like Venezuela and Cuba.”
Meanwhile, the Florida Democratic Party released a digital ad on Friday called, “Russian Ron” highlighting the GOP nominee’s defense of the Donald Trump administration regarding the special counsel’s investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 president election.
“Ron DeSantis is one of the chief defenders of the most corrupt President in American history,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Kevin Donohoe. “DeSantis has spent the past two years demonizing law enforcement and furiously defending the Trump campaign’s potentially criminal contacts with the Russian government. Instead of serving his constituents, DeSantis has appeared nearly constantly on television to try and explain away the President’s latest legal challenges. DeSantis acts more like he wants to Donald Trump’s lawyer than the next governor of Florida.”
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