The Republican congressman representing the Florida Panhandle leads the pack of potential GOP 2026 gubernatorial primary rivals, according to a newly released Kaplan Strategies poll of 1,151 likely Florida Republican voters.
“Matt Gaetz is in the early lead with the support of 16 percent of Republicans going into 2026,” said Doug Kaplan, the Florida-based pollster, who famously nailed the 2016 percentages between former first lady Hillary R. Clinton and New York City developer Donald J. Trump, when Kaplan was running polls for Gravis Marketing.
Following Gaetz in the top three were Rep. Byron Donalds at 13 percent, and state Attorney General Ashley Moody at 10 percent, Kaplan said. The poll, conducted Feb. 27 through Feb. 28, carries a 2.9 percentage point margin of error.
“Fifty-one percent of Republican voters are undecided, so the race is still wide open, he said.
“Gaetz…
