Florida Republicans favor Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from UNF’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
While the governor has not announced any plans to run for president, the two seem to be on a collision course for the GOP nomination.
READ: Full results of statewide UNF poll
When given a list of 10 possible candidates, 52% of registered Republicans in Florida indicated they would vote for DeSantis, followed by 27% for Trump, the poll found.
The only other candidates, or likely candidates, who received more than one percent, were Nikki Haley, Liz Cheney and Mike Pence. Haley announced her candidacy earlier this year, the other two have not.
When asked to pick between DeSantis and Trump in a head-to-head race, 59% said they would vote for DeSantis, with 28% for Trump -- 14% didn’t know or refused to answer.
UNF also asked voters who they would pick in head-to-head races with DeSantis and President Joe Biden, who hasn’t announced whether he will run for re-election.
The results were similar for DeSantis and Trump, with both projected to beat Biden in Florida, and with DeSantis winning by a slightly bigger margin.
It’s important to note that this is just a snapshot of how Florida Republicans are feeling, with the earliest GOP primaries still a year away.
DeSantis has hinted he will make a decision on a 2024 run after the state’s legislative session ends in May.
The first Republican presidential debate is scheduled for Aug. 3.
