DeSantis, Abbott slip in popularity since July: survey

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) have slipped in popularity since July, according to a survey from Morning Consult.

Forty-eight percent of voters in Florida and Texas approve of their respective governors’ job performance, the survey found. 

Fifty-four percent of Florida voters approved of DeSantis’s job in office from June 22 to July 1. Fifty-one percent of Texas voters during that time approved of Abbott’s performance. 

The drops in support come as the Texas Republican made headlines for cracking down on mask and vaccine mandates amid a surge of the COVID-19 delta variant in the state.

Both governors have signed executive orders banning school districts and governmental authorities from imposing mask mandates.

The battle has been highly publicized in recent weeks, with school districts and local governments taking on the governors as schools return for in-person learning.

DeSantis, an ardent supporter of former President Trump and a rising star in the GOP, has been predicted to be a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Morning Consult found that the governors are still largely popular among Republican voters in their states, though approval has declined slightly. 

Eighty-three percent of Republican voters in Florida approve of the job DeSantis is doing as governor, down from 87 percent in July. Similarly, 79 percent of Republican voters in Texas approve of Abbott, slightly down from 80 percent in July.

But DeSantis’s approval rating among independents dropped significantly, from 50 percent to 40 percent. Independents’ disapproval rose from 38 percent to 51 percent.

Democratic support for the governor dropped from 24 percent to 21 percent, with disapproval rising from 72 percent in July to 76 percent.

Abbott similarly saw drops among Democrats and independents. Seventy-three percent of Democrats now disapprove of the job he is doing as governor, up from 70 percent in July. Approval ticked down slightly from 25 percent to 24 percent.

Fifty-four percent of independents disapprove of Abbott, up from July’s number of 48 percent. Abbott’s approval rating among independents dropped from 41 percent to 38 percent.

Morning Consult surveyed 4,174 voters in Florida and 3,041 voters in Texas from Aug. 21 to 30, with margins of error from 1 to 3 percentage points.