Florida elects a new governor on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited, and the Aug. 18 primaries made it Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds against Democrat David Jolly, a former congressman. Eight other tickets are also running.
Of the 11 public polls since the Aug. 18 primary listed below, Donalds led in 6, Jolly led in 2 and 3 were within half a point. The median margin is Donalds +2. Donalds polled between 43.5% and 52%; Jolly between 39% and 48%. Polls differ in who they count as a likely voter and in how they handle undecided voters, so read the table, not one number.
Every public poll since the primary
| Pollster | Dates | Sample | Donalds | Jolly | Other | Undecided | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | Oct. 8-10 | 920 likely voters, ±3.1 For Freedom Project USA | 47% | 47% | - | 5% | Tie |
| MDW Communications and EDGE Communications | Oct. 4-10 | 2,351 likely voters, ±2.8 | 45.9% | 43.8% | - | 10.3% | Donalds +2.1 |
| Stetson University CPOR | Oct. 1-9 | 716 likely voters, ±4.2 Includes leaners. | 52% | 41% | 3% | 5% | Donalds +11 |
| St. Pete Polls | Oct. 5-7 | 836 likely voters, ±3.4 For FloridaPolitics.com | 44.7% | 44.6% | 3.9% | 6.9% | Tie |
| YouGov | Sept. 28-Oct. 5 | 3,813 likely voters, ±2.7 | 47% | 45% | 1% | 7% | Donalds +2 |
| Targoz Market Research | Sept. 28-Oct. 4 | 849 likely voters For James Madison Institute | 52% | 42% | 3% | 3% | Donalds +10 |
| Mason-Dixon | Sept. 28-Oct. 1 | 625 registered voters, ±4 For NBC 6 / Telemundo Station Group | 48% | 41% | 1% | 10% | Donalds +7 |
| Change Research | Sept. 25-27 | 1,063 likely voters, ±2.8 For Freedom Project USA | 46% | 48% | - | 5% | Jolly +2 |
| Stetson University CPOR | Sept. 14-21 | Likely voters from 830 adults, ±4.3 Includes leaners. | 51% | 39% | 5% | 5% | Donalds +12 |
| St. Pete Polls | Sept. 15-17 | 913 likely voters, ±3.2 For FloridaPolitics.com | 43.5% | 43.4% | 4.3% | 8.9% | Tie |
| Change Research | Sept. 7-9 | 1,107 likely voters, ±2.8 For Freedom Project USA | 44% | 47% | - | 7% | Jolly +3 |
Who is on the ballot
| Candidate | Running mate | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Byron Donalds | Bryan Avila | Republican |
| David Jolly | Gwen Graham | Democratic |
| Scott Eckhard Jewett | Nicole Skelly | Libertarian |
| Dean Ocean Abrams | Joe Van Vactor | No Party Affiliation |
| Charles Burkett | Ruben A. Coto | No Party Affiliation |
| Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto | Juan Santana | No Party Affiliation |
| Moliere "Moe" Dimanche | Benjiman Rojas | No Party Affiliation |
| Frank J. Russo | Rachel Rodriguez | No Party Affiliation |
| Kathy Anderson | Daniel Nokovich | Write-in |
| Erik Morris | LeRoy Alaways | Write-in |
Key dates for voters
| Date | What happens | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 19 | Earliest day a county may open early voting (the 15th day before the election). Many large counties start here; check your county Supervisor of Elections. | Fla. Stat. 101.657 |
| Thu., Oct. 22, 5 p.m. | Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to you (the 12th day before the election). | Fla. Stat. 101.62 |
| Sat., Oct. 24 to Sat., Oct. 31 | Early voting every county must offer (the 10th through the 3rd day before the election), 8 to 12 hours a day. Counties may also open Sun., Nov. 1. | Fla. Stat. 101.657 |
| Tue., Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Election Day. Vote-by-mail ballots must reach your Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m.; a postmark is not enough. | Fla. Stat. 101.67 |
Also on the Nov. 3 ballot: the U.S. Senate special election (see the Florida Senate race page), the Cabinet races, Amendments 1, 2 and 3, and a Florida Supreme Court retention vote.