A new poll of likely Republican primary voters shows Rep. Byron Donalds holding a lead in the 2026 Florida governor’s race, with no other tested candidate registering significant support.
The survey, conducted Nov. 11–13 among 600 likely GOP primary voters, was not commissioned by any campaign or political committee.
Donalds receives 45 percent support, while House Speaker Paul Renner, Sen. Jay Collins and activist James Fishback each draw between 1 and 3 percent. Nearly half of respondents, 49.9 percent, remain undecided. According to the polling memo, Donalds’ advantage has grown compared with a January survey that tested a different potential field.
The poll found that 43 percent of respondents identify as Donald Trump-aligned MAGA Republicans, 20 percent as Constitutional Conservatives, 11 percent as Traditional Republicans and 26 percent as Moderates. Donalds leads across all four groups.
Researchers also asked how voters would respond if former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed different candidates in the primary.
Thirty-one percent said they would back the Trump-endorsed candidate and 28 percent said they would support the DeSantis-endorsed candidate, while 41 percent were undecided. The memo states the numbers suggest a DeSantis endorsement would provide a modest lift to another candidate but would not create a competitive challenge to Donalds’ current position.
Respondents rated each figure on a five-point scale. Donalds received an average score of 4.11 among voters familiar with him, compared with sub-3.0 averages for Renner, Collins and Fishback, all of whom remain largely unknown to most respondents.
Trump and DeSantis recorded the highest name recognition and favorability ratings, with DeSantis’ score slightly higher than Trump’s.
The memo concludes that Donalds is the only candidate with measurable support in the Republican primary at this stage of the 2026 cycle.
