Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is up 8 points over Democrat challenger Charlie Crist, and GOP Sen. Marco Rubio holds a lead of 7 points over Democrat Val Demings, a new poll released Monday showed.
The Spectrum News/Siena College survey showed DeSantis has a 49%-41% edge over Crist.
"He's the governor … given his growing national image and recognition, he's an even larger figure," said Don Levy, director of Siena College Research Institute. "A big issue will be how well did DeSantis perform in the aftermath of the hurricane … [it] could make this race a landslide, or tilt the other way."
DeSantis has expanded his profile in the migrant crisis at the southern border, using public funds to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Mass. — an effort for which DeSantis reportedly allocated $12 million — and Floridians mostly supported the plan, the survey showed.
According to the survey, the plan was supported 50%-44% along party lines, with 87% of Republicans in favor and 79% of Democrats opposed.
Rubio holds a 7-point edge over Demings, 48%-41%, the poll showed.
On other topics, the survey showed 58% of Florida voters consider the economy is a top priority, followed by threats to American democracy (27%), abortion rights ( 21%), and immigration (23%).
The Siena survey, which was conducted Sept. 18-25 in telephone calls to 669 likely voters, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
A RealClearPolitics averaging of polls shows Rubio up 3.6 points over Demings; and DeSantis up 5.4 points over Crist.
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