New Chamber of Commerce poll shows Trump over Biden in Florida by 9 points

Despite the proclamation announced last month by President Joe Biden’s campaign that Florida “is in play” in the 2024 presidential election, another public opinion poll released Friday shows that doesn’t appear to be the case.

A Florida Chamber of Commerce survey of 656 likely Florida voters released shows that former president Donald Trump has a nine-point lead over Biden, 51%-42%. And if independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is added to the poll, the margin remains the same, with Trump over Biden 46%-37%, with Kennedy getting 10% support.

Among Hispanic voters, the poll shows Trump with a substantial lead over the president, receiving 58% of that part of the electorate, compared to 31% who support Biden.

The news gets worse for the Democrats when it comes to the U.S. Senate contest between GOP incumbent Rick Scott and his likely Democratic opponent, former U.S. Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. The survey shows Scott leading Mucarsel-Powell by 15 percentage points, 54%-39%. And among Hispanic voters, the survey says that Scott is supported by 66% of the electorate. Mucarsel-Powell is originally from Ecuador, but Scott has worked hard over his 14 years in public office in Florida to win over Latino voters.

The poll also surveyed Floridians on the two constitutional amendments on the Nov. 5 ballot that have received the most media attention: the legalization of adult cannabis use and abortion rights.

Regarding Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over, the survey shows the measure getting 58% support, just shy of the 60% required for passage. The poll shows that 37% oppose it, and 5% were undecided. As the Phoenix has previously reported, only three states in the country where the public has weighed in on the question of adult cannabis use has the measure passed by more than 60% (Maryland, New Jersey and Arizona).

Regarding Amendment 4, which would reverse Florida’s current ban on most abortions in the state after six weeks and restore it to the time of viability, 61% are in favor, with 29% opposed and 10% are undecided. That is the first major public opinion poll taken in Florida that shows the measure getting above the 60% threshold required for passage since the Florida Supreme Court voted to put the proposal on the November ballot.

The survey also asks voters what are the top issues facing Florida. The lead issue is immigration at 16%, followed by property insurance at 14%, job creation and the economy at 10%, education at 8% and abortion issues at 7%.

The poll was conducted for the Florida Chamber of Commerce by Cherry Communications on April 28-May 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.