Both Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump would beat President Biden in Florida if the 2024 election were held today according to a new Suffolk University/USA Today poll. The survey of likely Florida voters shows Governor DeSantis would beat Biden 52-44-percent while former President Trump is preferred over Biden by 47-44-percent in what appears to be a tighter matchup. Despite DeSantis' larger lead over Biden, in a hypothetical Republican primary Trump leads DeSantis by 7 points, 47-40-percent.
The survey also shows that in a hypothetical Democratic primary in Florida ahead of the 2024 general election, former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would also beat Biden, 46-43-percent. Both DeSantis and Trump would defeat Clinton in a general election matchup in Florida, DeSantis by 13 points, Trump by 7.
"Joe Biden has low approval," Suffolk University Research Center Director David Paleologos says, "and it resonates in so many different questions in the poll."
Before he can think about running for president, Governor DeSantis has to get re-elected this fall and the survey gives him a 6 point lead over Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist and an 11 point advantage over state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. In the 2022 race for the United State Senate, incumbent GOP Senator Marco Rubio leads Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings by 8 points.
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