DeSantis approval plummets amid coronavirus surge: poll

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has seen his approval rating nosedive in recent weeks as the state has become one of the new epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic.

A poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released Friday shows that 45 percent of respondents said that they approved of DeSantis’s job performance, while 49 percent disapproved.

This is a stark contrast from the last iteration of the survey in March, when 62 percent of Florida voters said that they approved of the job DeSantis was doing, with just 24 percent saying they disapproved.

New cases of COVID-19 in Florida have spiked in the past two months.

The Sunshine State was one of the first states in the country to begin reopening its economy amid the pandemic, and DeSantis has previously said that he would not be rolling back reopening measures in the state despite the surge of cases.

He has also staunchly supported Florida schools returning to in-person classes this fall.

Teachers, education leaders and advocates have argued that reopening schools without proper funding and reducing the rate of coronavirus transmission puts children, parents and teachers at risk for contracting the disease. 

On Thursday, Florida reported nearly 10,000 new cases of the virus and 252 deaths. 

With more than 480,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the state is responsible for more than 10 percent of the U.S.’s coronavirus cases.

A Quinnipiac poll conducted last week showed a similar decline in DeSantis’ popularity. 

The governor’s approval rating in that survey was 41 percent, while 52 percent of respondents said they disapproved of DeSantis’s performance.

The Mason-Dixon poll surveyed 625 registered Florida voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.