DeSantis says Florida GOP turnout is lagging as Donalds and Jolly race tightens

Florida Republicans are openly worried about turnout in the final days before Tuesday's election. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said on Wednesday that he did not think turnout had been strong enough so far ¹.

Through Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, state data showed Republicans had cast more than 1.4 million votes, nearly 35,000 more than Democrats ¹. That lead is smaller than at the same point in the 2022 midterm ¹.

What DeSantis said

I don't think the turnout has been as strong as we would like to see.

DeSantis also said he does not think Republican parents in their 30s and 40s are turning out at the same rate as in his past reelection ¹. He added that the situation could change before Election Day, but that Republicans have more to do ¹.

He was campaigning for U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor ¹. Donalds faces David Jolly, a Democrat and former congressman ¹.

From Channel GOPClinton: Jolly's opponent scrubbed Trump from his websitePresident Bill Clinton · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named

A race that polls disagree on

Polls of the governor's race give different pictures. Stetson University had Donalds ahead 52% to 41% in a survey taken Oct. 1-9 ². Change Research found a 47% to 47% tie in a poll taken Oct. 8-10 ². St. Pete Polls also found a tie, 45% to 45%, among 836 likely voters ².

Decision Desk HQ, Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball and Inside Elections all rate the race "Lean Republican" ². That means they see Donalds as the favorite, but not a sure winner.

Jolly has campaigned with former President Bill Clinton ³. Clinton urged voters at that event to take part in early voting ³. Jolly has said his message is about "housing, health care, education, and no data centers" ³.

Donalds said that "Affordability is on top of everybody's mind" and that his plan "lowers insurance premiums 20% in the state of Florida for families" ³.

What happens next

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. In Sarasota County, mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. that day ³. DeSantis also urged Republicans to vote for Amendment 3, a property tax cut he supports ¹.

A smaller early-vote lead than in 2022 suggests the Republican edge is not translating into the same turnout advantage so far. Early ballots are only part of the picture, and election-day voting could change it.

Jolly's campaign has pointed to the tied polls as a sign of momentum ². The final result will depend on who actually votes Tuesday.

The Record

1. Oct 13, 2026Stetson University released a poll showing Donalds ahead 52% to 41% in Florida's governor race ².
2. Oct 21, 2026Donalds and Jolly stepped up campaigning in the final two weeks, with Jolly appearing with Bill Clinton ³.
3. Oct 28, 2026DeSantis said Republican turnout had not been as strong as he would like, with the GOP early-vote lead about 35,000 ballots ¹.

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>DeSantis says Florida GOP turnout is lagging as Donalds and Jolly race tightens</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/desantis-says-florida-gop-turnout-is-lagging-as-donalds-and-jolly-race-tightens">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Florida Republicans are openly worried about turnout in the final days before Tuesday&#39;s election. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said on Wednesday that he did not think turnout had been strong enough so far .</p> <p>Through Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, state data showed Republicans had cast more than 1.4 million votes, nearly 35,000 more than Democrats . That lead is smaller than at the same point in the 2022 midterm .</p> <h2>What DeSantis said</h2> <blockquote><p>I don&#39;t think the turnout has been as strong as we would like to see.</p><p>&mdash; Ron DeSantis, Governor, R-Florida</p></blockquote> <p>DeSantis also said he does not think Republican parents in their 30s and 40s are turning out at the same rate as in his past reelection . He added that the situation could change before Election Day, but that Republicans have more to do .</p> <p>He was campaigning for U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor . Donalds faces David Jolly, a Democrat and former congressman .</p> <h2>A race that polls disagree on</h2> <p>Polls of the governor&#39;s race give different pictures. Stetson University had Donalds ahead 52% to 41% in a survey taken Oct. 1-9 . Change Research found a 47% to 47% tie in a poll taken Oct. 8-10 . St. Pete Polls also found a tie, 45% to 45%, among 836 likely voters .</p> <p>Decision Desk HQ, Cook Political Report, Sabato&#39;s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections all rate the race &quot;Lean Republican&quot; . That means they see Donalds as the favorite, but not a sure winner.</p> <p>Jolly has campaigned with former President Bill Clinton . Clinton urged voters at that event to take part in early voting . Jolly has said his message is about &quot;housing, health care, education, and no data centers&quot; .</p> <p>Donalds said that &quot;Affordability is on top of everybody&#39;s mind&quot; and that his plan &quot;lowers insurance premiums 20% in the state of Florida for families&quot; .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. In Sarasota County, mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. that day . DeSantis also urged Republicans to vote for Amendment 3, a property tax cut he supports .</p> <p>A smaller early-vote lead than in 2022 suggests the Republican edge is not translating into the same turnout advantage so far. Early ballots are only part of the picture, and election-day voting could change it.</p> <p>Jolly&#39;s campaign has pointed to the tied polls as a sign of momentum . The final result will depend on who actually votes Tuesday.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/desantis-says-florida-gop-turnout-is-lagging-as-donalds-and-jolly-race-tightens">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/desantis-says-florida-gop-turnout-is-lagging-as-donalds-and-jolly-race-tightens.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. WUSF / News Service of Florida, “DeSantis stumps for Donalds, warns against GOP complacency” (2026-10-28). wusf.org/politics-issues/2026-10-28/desantis-stumps-for-dona
2. Newsweek, “Byron Donalds vs David Jolly: Latest polls show two very different results” (2026-10-21). newsweek.com/byron-donalds-vs-david-jolly-latest-polls-show-
3. WWSB (ABC7), “Florida governor candidates intensify campaign ahead of Nov. 3 election” (2026-10-21). mysuncoast.com/2026/10/21/florida-governor-candidates-intens
4. Newsweek, “Byron Donalds vs David Jolly: Latest polls show two very different results” (2026-10-21). newsweek.com/byron-donalds-vs-david-jolly-latest-polls-show-

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.