Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) holds a narrow lead over Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in the first reputable poll of the race since they won their respective primaries last week.
Gillum has a 50 percent to 47 percent edge over DeSantis in a new live-caller poll of likely voters released by Quinnipiac University Tuesday,
That’s a narrow margin, within the poll’s 4.3 percentage point margin of error, but a sign that the staunchly progressive Gillum starts off the race in the large swing state in good shape against DeSantis, a hardline conservative and close ally of President Trump.
The race has already taken a nasty turn, with DeSantis beginning the general election by warning Florida voters not to “monkey this up” by voting for Gillum — a comment many took as being racist.
Quinnipiac is the most reputable pollster to have surveyed the race since Gillum pulled off a surprise primary win over centrist former Rep. Gwen Graham (D-FL). But Gravis, a decent robo-pollster, also found Gillum with a narrow lead to begin the race. Their poll, released Tuesday, found Gillum with 47 percent support to 45 percent for DeSantis.
The race will be one of the most consequential gubernatorial battles of the election cycle given Florida’s national importance, its large population and the ideological chasm that separates the two candidates.
