First Poll Released Since Hurricane Ian Shows DeSantis with Double-Digit Lead as Ballots Start Going Out

There’s still more than a month to go before Election Day, but in 🌴Florida it looks like the governor’s race is Gov. 👤Ron Desantis’ to lose, according to the most recent polling in the state.

NBC News reported that voters were beginning to receive vote-by-mail ballots throughout the state, even as many Floridians continue recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian’s landfall last week.

The Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy survey, released yesterday, showed the incumbent DeSantis with a comfortable lead over his Democratic rival, former Rep. Charlie Crist.

Of course, Crist is a former many other things, as well. He’s a former Republican, a former independent, a former state senator, a former 🌴Florida education commission, a former state attorney general and a former governor — as well a former failed senatorial candidate (twice). Although I suppose he’s a current failed senatorial candidate, now that I think of it.

The man has a longer political resume than Hillary Clinton. But I digress.

Crist is currently behind DeSantis by 11 points, according to the poll, which puts him well outside the margin of error of 3.5 percent. That’s not a lock — nothing is, really — but it’s about as close to one as we’re likely to see this year.