Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is leading his likely Democrat challenger, Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), in a head-to-head matchup, a Giffords and Public Policy Polling survey found.
The poll, taken May 26-27, 2022, among 655 Florida voters, asked, “If the election for US Senate were held today, and the candidates were Democrat Val Demings and Republican Marco Rubio, who would you vote for?”
Rubio has a clear edge, leading the Democrat congresswoman by six percentage points with 47 percent to Demings’ 41 percent. Twelve percent remain unsure — a percentage double that of Rubio’s lead:
The survey focused largely on gun control, asking questions such as the following:
Florida Senator Marco Rubio said he would reconsider his position on banning large capacity magazines after 17 students and staff were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Then he refused to support legislation to ban large capacity magazines in the Senate. Does hearing this make you less likely or more likely to vote for Marco Rubio in November, or does it not make a difference?
Overall, 45 percent said it either would not make a difference or make them more likely to support him, compared to 44 percent who said it would make them less likely to support him. The survey asked similar questions and then pit Rubio against Demings once again.
“Having heard all the information in this survey, let me ask you again: If the election for US Senate were held today, and the candidates were Democrat Val Demings and Republican Marco Rubio, who would you vote for?” it asked after the series of gun questions.
Even then, Rubio still came away as the leader, leading Demings 44 percent to 42 percent with 14 percent remaining undecided.
Rubio’s RealClearPolitics lead is even greater, besting Demings by an average of nine percent.
The finding comes as Rubio continues to tout endorsements from law enforcement groups throughout the state. In January, a bipartisan group of 55 sheriffs endorsed the incumbent, and months later, the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) stepped up and endorsed Rubio. A third group, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, endorsed Rubio last month. That group boasts 30,000 active duty law enforcement officers.
“The law enforcement community overwhelmingly supports Marco Rubio’s re-election. This is a complete rejection of the anti-law enforcement policies Val Demings has supported in her six years in Congress,” Rubio for Senate spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory said in a statement at the time.
“Florida’s men and women in blue have seen Marco Rubio go to bat for them in the Senate, and know he is the only candidate in this race they can count on to ensure they have the resources they need and the respect they deserve,” Gregory added.
Rubio’s endorsements from law enforcement organizations are especially significant given that Demings has a background in law enforcement, having served for 27 years. Further, she is a former police chief, having served the Orlando Police Department between 2007-2011.