Poll: Gillum, DeSantis running neck and neck in Florida gubernatorial race

Former Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) are neck and neck in the Florida gubernatorial race, a new poll shows.

Forty-eight percent of likely voters in Florida said they would vote for DeSantis, while 45 percent support Gillum, according to a poll conducted for Gray Television by Strategic Research Associates.  

DeSantis’s lead was within the poll’s margin of error of 3.46 points.

{mosads} Other polling has shown Gillum with a slight, but often statistically insignificant lead, with the midterm elections less than two weeks away.

An average across polls at RealClearPolitics shows Gillum ahead by only 4.5 percentage points.

Both men have positive favorability ratings according to the poll.

Gillum is viewed favorably by 40 percent of likely voters, while 35 percent view him unfavorably, 13 percent are neutral and 11 percent were not familiar with him.

DeSantis has a favorability rating of 43 percent and is viewed unfavorably by 39 percent, with 9 percent having a neutral opinion and 10 percent saying they are unfamiliar with the candidate.

The poll also showed 87 percent of those who support Gillum say they won’t change their minds, while only 79 percent of DeSantis backers say they will not waver.

Pollsters surveyed 800 likely voters in Florida over the phone from Oct. 16 to Oct. 23.