Topline
According to Morning Consult poll, Texas Republican Governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott have seen their approval ratings drop amid alarming increases in Covid-19 hospitalizations and infections in both Florida and Texas over the past two-months. An increasing number of voters, especially independents, are disapproving of DeSantis' and Abbotts performance.
Florida's Republicans still support DeSantis with over 80% saying that they still approve of him. AFP via Getty Images
The Key Facts
Morning Consult polling concluded that 38% of independent voters disapproved of DeSantis’s job performance on July 1. However, polling conducted August 21-30 showed that that number jumped to 51%. DeSantis has strong support from the GOP base. More than four out five Florida Republicans still support the governor. However, that number has dropped slightly from 87% to 83% since July's beginning. DeSantis's overall approval rating among all voters has dropped 14 percentage points in the past two months. Texas's independent voters disapproved of Abbot 48% in July. Now, 54% of them say they do not approve of him. Abbot's net approval rating fell by 7%, but his approval among Republicans has dropped only one percentage point.
The Key Background
More than 23,000 Covid-19 cases were reported daily in Florida by the end of August. This was 30% more than the January peak. As the Delta variant of Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the Sunshine State, hospitalizations and Covid related deaths reached all-time highs. Texas also experienced a dangerous spike in August. The state saw an average of more than 17,000 infections per day for the first time since February. These summer surges and the governor's response to Covid-19 crises may have affected voters views towards DeSantis or Abbott. DeSantis was a strong advocate for vaccines but he strongly opposed the use of mask mandates in schools. DeSantis stated, "We can either have free society or we can have biomedical security state." "And I can assure you, Florida is a free state. The people will be free to make their own choices. A Florida court has ruled that students may be subject to strict mask requirements in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Abbott issued an executive order in July banning mask mandates and any other operating mandates in Texas. Both Texas and Florida are working together to ban institutions from requiring vaccinations.
Chief Critic:
Early August, President Joe Biden criticised DeSantis' and Abbott's inability to adequately protect the public against the virus. Biden stated, "I ask these governors to please help, but you're not going to help at all get out of the path." "The people want to do the right things. Save lives by using your power
What to Watch Out For
Next November, DeSantis will be running for reelection. DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy for the presidency in the near future. In July, a nationwide poll of Republican voters found that he would be the front-runner in the event Donald Trump doesn't run again.
Important Quote
Jason L. Salemi (an epidemiologist at University of South Florida) said that the Delta variant "is exceptional at finding vulnerable population."
Big Number:
44,571. This is the total number of Florida residents who have been killed by Covid-19 over the last 18 months.
Additional Reading:
DeSantis and Abbott Keep GOP Support Despite Declining Popularity in the Face of COVID-19 Surges (Morning consult)
What went wrong with the Pandemic in Florida? (NYT).
Live updates and coverage of the Coronavirus
