Double-digit deficit in another new poll doesn’t concern Nikki Fried

Crist vs Fried
'Obviously we have room to grow, and that's what we're doing.'

Yet another survey of the Democratic race for Governor shows Nikki Fried down by at least ten points, but she didn’t show concern Tuesday in Jacksonville.

A survey of 701 likely Democratic Primary voters commissioned by Floridians for Economic Advancement showed Fried with 33% support, behind Rep. Charlie Crist at 43%. State Sen. Annette Taddeo rounded out the field with 15% support.

The margin between Crist and Fried is smaller than in some polls of the Democratic Primary field, such as the 26-point spread in a February survey. But it’s still a considerable deficit. Despite the continued gap, Fried said Tuesday that she’s “very confident” with where the polls are so far.

“Obviously, we have room to grow, and that’s what we’re doing,” Fried said. “Every time I speak to a new voter, every time I speak to a new organization, by the time that we are done, they all become Nikki Fried supporters.”

That confidence extends to fundraising, where Fried framed her campaign as competitive with Crist’s in terms of cash on hand.

Fried has roughly $2.6 million in her Florida Consumers First political committee and roughly a million dollars in her campaign account. Crist has roughly $1.3 million in his campaign account, and more than $3.4 million in Friends of Charlie Crist.

“We’ve basically come very close in cash on hand.” Fried said. “We are using our resources, we’re getting out the votes. As you see, this campaign is built on grassroots. The amount of people, individual donations we are getting from across the entire state is exciting. It is showing that this entire campaign is built on grassroots momentum and we’ve got it.”

In Jacksonville Tuesday, Fried spoke to labor union leaders and representatives from around the region, and questions were pointed as to whether she could prevail in the Primary and the General Election. One union rep said that while he personally might be open to support her, many of those in his union liked DeSantis and the much-discussed “Parental Rights in Education” legislation, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Those comments illustrated a finding in the same poll that should concern Democrats who messaged heavily against this legislation. About 52% of respondents say students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade should not be taught about sexual orientation in class by teachers, which was one of the major points of contention about this legislation.

No matter which Democrat gets the nomination, the challenger will be playing catch-up with DeSantis, who is well ahead in most polling of the race. DeSantis also has nearly $90 million cash on hand between his campaign account and his political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


19 comments

  • Impeach Biden

    March 22, 2022 at 4:41 pm

    Fried is done. Her mean spirited attacks on DeSantis were her death knell.

    • RonDeSantisSucks

      March 22, 2022 at 6:15 pm

      If being mean spirited were enough to torpedo someone’s campaign, Trump and DeSantis would be unemployed.

    • No it does not

      March 23, 2022 at 10:04 am

      It’s not hard to be mean to Ron.
      It’s like telling him to go to a gym. It has no affect on him and just makes him more upset .

      What you see is what you get. And he’s not much Lol

  • Tom

    March 22, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    Laugh my ass off.
    N Fried is a Disaster. Worse candidate-in country. A fabrication of FP.
    Be clear, if she wins the nomination it’s a electoral disaster. If Camillion does, it’s a little less. Biden is at 34% approval in Florida. Dems/Dums are done. America’s Gov wins bigly!
    Just saying.

  • tom palmer

    March 22, 2022 at 7:53 pm

    If DeSantis wins, that means P.T. Barnum was right.

    • Tom

      March 23, 2022 at 12:31 am

      Wah Wah
      Yes, I know, if the Dums win it’s democracy! Palmer, you are a fool.
      Wait til you get crushed.
      Fraud & Camillion get rolled.

      • Ocean Joe

        March 23, 2022 at 6:41 am

        If somebody other than Desantis wins, Republicans will never accept it. That’s the lesson of Jan 6. A close election might be the worst thing that could happen to Florida since Rick Scott.
        The deck is stacked. Admire the GOP for swiping all the old Democratic tactics from gerrymandering to harvesting votes from the graveyard (Villages).

        • Tom

          March 23, 2022 at 8:40 am

          Wah, Wah ocean Joe,
          Really, you and Palmer, all you got is denouncing America’s Gov. His record on education, economy, jobs, environment , Covid, crime and more us second to none in country. America’s Gov is a grand slam player!

          PT Barnum, Jan 6. How many you want in jail. Why don’t you and Garland, Schiff & Cheney put half of America in jail. My goodness.

          It’s really rich, Ocean with endless lies from you to suggest gerrymandering and harvesting. Blue states have gerrymandered multiple Republican districts already. Google N Y, Maryland & Illinois to name a few. DeSantis is correct about the Lawson seat, it’s gerrymandered to highest order as is.

          Will you Manchurians ever look within.
          Runaway 10% inflation, runaway gas oil, $6.00, gross consumer increase across board. Abysmal debacles foreign policy disasters, nuclear war on doorstep thanks to Biden incompetence. Jan 6 is all you got!

          Biden is at 34% in Florida approval, Dems have no chance.

          The only thing I agree with Biden on is no u s troops in Ukraine. Schiff, Cheney, Graham, Romney, Pelosi, and other Dems are so eager to do so.

          My legend has driven Manchurians away! LMAO, Alex, Peter h, JD, Morton, Frankie, so many others fled.

          You all are a bunch of cry eyes.

          • All of them

            March 23, 2022 at 10:09 am

            “How many you want in jail”

            How many you got? Lol

      • Please no

        March 23, 2022 at 10:08 am

        “Wait till you get crushed”

        Oh I’m so scared of Ron desantis
        I hope he does not eat me cuase that’s the only way I would ever do as he says lol

  • LM

    March 23, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Nikki Fried’s problem is basic: most voters have no idea who she is. I only know her because her name is plastered on the gasoline pumps (bad place to be in this era of $5 a gal gasoline). She needs a massive, all-media markets TV campaign to introduce herself to voters. Before Crist, or more likely DeSantis introduce her and drive up the negatives.

    • Tom

      March 24, 2022 at 7:27 am

      It’s worse, she’s not liked.
      She’s extreme, shrill, and incoherent.
      No substance, just a AOC carbon copy. Repubs/DeSantis will politically wipe her out. Dems don’t have a chance. Biden is at 34% in Florida. Its a wipeout. Enjoy!

  • Tom

    March 23, 2022 at 12:54 pm

    Ignorance is bliss amongst you pathetic Manchurians, who are balls less with fake monikers. Afraid to declare self.
    Yes all of you will be crushed politically.
    No match for America’s Gov!

    Who you got Biden? Giggles Harris? 34% approval in Florida. Who else N Fraud, crispy Camillion? Clown show keeps on giving.

    None of you ignoramuses can talk substance.

    • Yeah and what?

      March 23, 2022 at 2:05 pm

      who cares if they have low approval among Republicans who can’t afford a trip to Disney land ? Lol

  • Anne

    March 23, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    Just wait until more SOROS/DAVOS money comes in and they can try to pull another fraud like they did in 2018 – writing in ballots in that room in WPB and they got caught, then Gillum suddenly conceded…

    For all of you who have their vaccinated head in the sand – yes they do steal elections.

    • Impeach Biden

      March 23, 2022 at 4:25 pm

      Just imagine for a second if Gillum would have won.

  • Michael L

    March 24, 2022 at 3:27 pm

    Nikki Fried is disgraceful; she has looked the other way ignoring pleas to shut down Big Sugar field burning practices dangerous to Floridians and wildlife. She has hired 3 Big Sugar Lobbyists. Her fiance had to be removed from the Westin Ft L resort after eye witnesses called law enforcement as he was phyically battering her. Rather than take a stand for Domestic Abuse Victims, and give up the conflict of interest marijuana payments, she fired 3 insiders who encouraged her to do just that and end the relationship. Algae is growing out of control; manatees are starving to death while like a little puppy she spends her days on Twitter attacking DeSantis. And then there are the several Ethic Committee hidden income violation citations. But of course Liberals will overlook all that just like they did Hunter’s laptop.

    • Impeach Biden

      March 26, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      Touché

  • Bob

    April 1, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    I just wish there was someone near center who could pull everyone together. This will never happen for years if not decades to come.

    It all makes me sick!

Comments are closed.


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