U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds continues to dominate Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary, according to a new Cygnal poll that shows the Naples congressman holding a commanding lead over his Republican rivals with less than a month before the Aug. 18 primary.
The survey found Donalds with 43% support among likely Republican primary voters, followed by businessman James Fishback at 12%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 11%, and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner at 2%. Another 31% of respondents remained undecided, leaving the race for second place far more competitive than the battle for first.
The results are consistent with several recent public polls that have shown Donalds maintaining a substantial advantage throughout the Republican primary campaign.
“This is an early race with a clear leader, but also a large undecided share with some meaningful room for movement from the lesser-known names as voters learn more about the rest of the field,” Cygnal Vice President Mitch Brown said.
Name Recognition Gives Donalds an Edge
Beyond the ballot test, the survey highlights one of Donalds’ biggest advantages: name recognition.
According to Cygnal, roughly three out of every four Republican voters are familiar with Donalds. By comparison:
- Byron Donalds — 75%
- Jay Collins — 35%
- James Fishback — 31%
- Paul Renner — 17%
That gap presents a significant challenge for Donalds’ opponents as early voting approaches.
Campaign Cash Reflects the Polling
Recent campaign finance reports also mirror the polling numbers.
Donalds has built an overwhelming financial advantage, with approximately $60 million available to support his campaign and allied political committees. By comparison:
- Byron Donalds — approximately $60 million
- Paul Renner — approximately $2 million
- Jay Collins — approximately $1.1 million
- James Fishback — less than $50,000
The financial disparity has allowed Donalds to dominate television advertising, digital outreach, and statewide campaign operations while his rivals have struggled to gain similar visibility.
Poll Continues a Consistent Trend
The Cygnal survey is the latest in a series of polls showing Donalds as the clear Republican frontrunner.
Recent surveys have consistently placed Donalds around the mid-40% range, while Collins and Fishback have generally remained in the low double digits and Renner has struggled to gain traction.
With the Aug. 18 Republican primary approaching, Donalds appears well positioned heading into the final weeks of the campaign, although nearly one-third of Republican voters remain undecided.
Cygnal conducted the survey July 12–13, interviewing 500 likely Florida Republican primary voters. The poll has a margin of error of ±4.38 percentage points.
Sources
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