When asked to choose, Florida’s likely voters have picked protecting the environment over economic growth by more than 2 to 1, a margin that surprised even the pollster who asked the question.
In a University of North Florida poll released last week, 61 percent of respondents said state and local officials should prioritize the environment “even at the risk of curbing economic growth.” Twenty-six percent chose growth. Registered Republicans sided with the environment 48 percent to 35 percent, and so did a plurality of 2024 voters who backed Donald Trump.
“I expected probably [the] environment to win narrowly, but this was a blowout,” said Sean Freeder, who directs UNF’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
Less than two weeks before Election Day, that sentiment has echoed through Florida’s U.S. Senate race between Republican Ashley Moody, the incumbent, and Democrat Angie Nixon, a state representative. Instead of a broad climate debate, it shows up in specific fights over data centers, power bills, hurricane recovery and the fixes either candidate can offer.
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