An Associated Industries of Florida Center for Political Strategy poll reveals that Florida voters are primarily concerned with property insurance costs and inflation, with a preference for Republican candidates overall.

The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) Center for Political Strategy published its Q2 2024 Statewide General Election Poll on Wednesday, identifying property insurance costs and inflation as the paramount concerns among Florida voters.

Economic issues remain the primary focus for the electorate, with 26 percent of respondents naming property insurance costs as their top issue, followed closely by inflation at 21 percent. The concerns outweigh other issues like illegal immigration, which 13 percent of voters identified as a priority, and housing costs, cited by 10 percent.

“The average Floridian is really feeling the effects of the insurance crisis and higher prices,” said Jeremy Sheftel, AIF Vice President of Political Operations. “With hurricane season officially underway, it will be worth monitoring to see how voters will respond as the season progresses.”

The poll found a general preference for Republican candidates, with 47 percent of voters favoring a generic Republican over a generic Democrat, who garnered 43 percent support. Meanwhile, 10 percent of the electorate remains undecided. Notably, among Independent voters, there is a preference for a generic Democrat over a Republican, with margins of 43 percent to 36 percent.

On specific issues, Republicans are perceived to outperform Democrats on a range of topics. They lead on handling the economy (44 percent to 23 percent), reducing inflation and everyday costs (35 percent to 25 percent), crime (46 percent to 16 percent), education (38 percent to 31 percent), and protecting personal freedoms (45 percent to 37 percent). However, a significant portion of the electorate, 44 percent, believes neither party is effectively addressing the critical issue of lowering property insurance costs.

As of April 30, 2024, Florida’s voter registration records show a total of 13,477,715 registered voters. Republicans lead with 5,248,509 (39 percent), followed by Democrats with 4,344,377 (32 eprcent), and Independents with 3,884,829 (29 percent). Since the 2020 voter registration book closing, Republicans have experienced a net gain of 50,083 voters, while Democrats and Independents have seen net losses of 978,896 and 111,793, respectively.

The poll, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, surveyed 800 registered likely general election voters in Florida via landlines and SMS/text messaging to web. The survey, carried out from May 28-30, 2024, has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval.