FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Florida Chamber of Commerce: Edie Ousley
850.251.6261
New Florida Chamber Statewide Poll Shows Floridians Approve of Governor DeSantis’ Handling of COVID-19 Response
Voters Optimistic Florida’s Economy Will be Improving Six Months from Now
TALLAHASSEE, FL (June 18, 2020) – The latest Florida Chamber of Commerce statewide poll shows 57 percent of Florida voters approve of Governor DeSantis’ handling of the COVID-19 response while 39 percent do not. And, while voters are near evenly split on the right/wrong direction of Florida, more than 55 percent of likely voters believe that Florida’s economy will be improving six months from now.
“Politically and economically speaking, Florida is the most significant state in America in 2020, and voters overwhelmingly support Florida’s approach to COVID-19, believe our economy will continue to improve, approve of the job Governor DeSantis is doing, and believe jobs and our economy should continue to be our focus,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “While there are no statewide elections this year, there are several state Senate and House races that will be impacted by national and state priorities and we’re encouraged by the alignment of most voters to the competitiveness agenda supported by the Florida Chamber.”
Before COVID-19 put Florida into a recession to protect the health of Floridians, Florida was the 17th largest economy in the world (if Florida were a country), we were creating 1 out of every 11 new U.S. jobs, we were the 20th most diversified state economy, the third largest state in the country and growing by 900 people a day. Since coronavirus, Florida has lost 1.2 million jobs, tax revenues were 29.4 percent less than anticipated for April, and our economy is feeling the effects of a global recession. So, it’s no surprise that the number one concern of Florida voters continues to be jobs and the economy, followed by COVID-19 and racial inequality – all three issues the Florida Chamber is engaged in, and has more than a dozen virtual events scheduled in 2020, including at least five events focusing on resolving our inequality of opportunity challenge.
“A majority of Floridians are nothing but optimistic when it comes to Florida’s economic recovery, and as the old saying goes, expectations tend to breed results. These are the right sentiments Florida needs as we unify the business community to relaunch and reimagine Florida’s economy,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Additional findings from the Florida Chamber’s latest statewide poll shows:
Governor DeSantis’ Approval/Disapproval:
58% approve
36% disapprove
Governor DeSantis’ Approval/Disapproval of COVID-19 Handling:
57% approve of COVID-19 handling
39% disapprove of COVID-19 handling
How Has Florida Responded to COVID-19?
46% just about right
44% not restrictive enough
7% too restrictive
2% unsure
Florida right/wrong direction:
44% right direction
42% wrong direction
Where do you believe Florida’s economy will be six months from now?
56% improving
25% worsening
10% same as it is now
9% unsure
FLORIDA’S EVER-CHANGING VOTER REGISTRATION: When it comes to voter registration, the latest data shows that NPAs continue to lead registrations. In May, the latest month for which the state has data, 25 percent of new voters registered as Democrats, 36 percent registered as Republicans, and 39 percent registered as NPA – for a total of 33,198 total voter registrations in Florida. Total state voter registrations show 37 percent are Democrats, 35 percent are Republicans and 28 percent are NPAs.
ABOUT OUR LATEST CHAMBER POLL: The Florida Chamber of Commerce political poll was conducted on June 6-15,2020 by Cherry Communications during live telephone interviews of likely voters, and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent. The sample size included 248 Democrats, 243 Republicans and 120 Others for a total of 611 respondents statewide. The samples for the polls conducted by the Florida Chamber are consistently drawn from likely voters and newly registered voters, meaning those voters who have the propensity and past performance of voting in elections, rather than simply including registered voters. Voters are again screened for likelihood of voting.
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Established in 1916 as Florida’s first statewide business advocacy organization, the Florida Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the state’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations aggressively representing small and large businesses from every industry and every region. The Florida Chamber works within all branches of government to affect those changes set forth in the annual Florida Business Agenda, and which are seen as critical to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber works closely with its Florida Political Operations and the Florida Chamber Foundation. Visit www.FloridaChamber.com for more information.
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Florida Chamber of Commerce, 136 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida
32301, U.S.
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