© Policy and Politics initiativeHispanic voters show support for DeSantis
A new Telemundo/LX News poll shows DeSantis' job approval rating is in positive territory and that he
earned his highest marks for the way he handled Hurricane Ian.Florida's Hispanic voters back Gov. Ron DeSantis over Democrat Charlie Crist, and they even support the
Republican's decision to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard, according to a new Telemundo/LX News poll.
Overall, DeSantis leads Crist by 51% to 44% statewide among those voters, and 56% approve of the job the governor is doing, compared with 41% who don't, the survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, found.
DeSantis lost Hispanic voters by 10 percentage points when he was elected in 2018,
exit polls showed,
and if he wins them Nov. 8, it would all but ensure his victory in a state where Democrats traditionally need to rely on solid support from Hispanic and Black voters to overcome Republican advantages with white voters.
Florida Latinos have shifted rightward since 2018 as Republicans tied their opponents to Democratic Socialists like Sen.
Bernie Sanders and Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — a
potent message for voters who fled leftist regimes or violence in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Colombia.
But attitude also matters when it comes to Latinos, and DeSantis has it, said Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker.
"There are lots of Hispanic voters in this state who really like the governor's style, this strongman who won't back down. And Crist has no mojo."
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