MIAMI – A poll released Wednesday found Democrat Andrew Gillum is leading Republican Ron DeSantis by 6 points in Florida's governor race.
Conducted by Reuters, Ipsos and the University of Virginia Center for Politics, the poll covered other top races across the country, including Florida's Senate race. Republican Gov. Rick Scott had a slim, 1 percentage point lead over Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, according to the poll.
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The poll's margin of error is 4 percentage points. It was conducted from Sept. 5 to Sept. 17.
Other recent polls have shown Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, with a similar 6-point edge. However, DeSantis, who recently resigned his seat in Congress, has just started holding campaign events in Florida after leaning heavily on television appearances in the primary.
Gillum, who could become Florida's first black governor, has generated lots of enthusiasm among Democratic voters. Some experts say Gillum could boost turnout and even benefit Nelson in his race.
DeSantis, who has been buoyed by his support from President Donald Trump, came under fire after the primary for comments many called racially charged. In an interview with Fox News, he warned Florida voters not to "monkey this up" by voting for Gillum. The Washington Post later reported DeSantis had spoken at racially charged events.
Another sign of trouble for DeSantis: Politico reported this week that Trump was displeased with DeSantis after he disagreed with the president over the death toll after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
"So yeah, maybe the president is angry, but he’ll cool off," Michael Caputo, a former Trump advisor, told Politico.