DeSantis’s top issue of fighting ‘woke’ ideology not a primary concern for voters: Poll
David Zimmermann
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The majority of Republican primary voters said they would not support a GOP presidential candidate who wages a war against “woke” ideology, according to a poll released Monday.
The New York Times/Siena College poll found “wokeism” was not a primary concern for voters in the 2024 election, an outcome that primarily affects Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Only 24% said they’d support a candidate “who focuses on defeating radical ‘woke’ ideology in our schools, media, and culture,” while 65% preferred someone “who focuses on restoring law and order in our streets and at the border.”
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Additionally, 38% of potential Republican primary voters said they want a candidate “to fight corporations that promote ‘woke’ left ideology.” On the other hand, 52% believe the GOP candidate “should stay out of deciding what corporations can support.”
Based on the poll’s findings, it appears one of DeSantis’s key issues won’t work well for his chances come primary season.
The Florida governor made a name for himself in the past two years by opposing “wokeism” in the state’s public education system and Walt Disney World Resort.
DeSantis put forward legislation to dismantle the ideology in Florida, namely the Stop WOKE Act, which prevented schools and corporations from supporting critical race theory. He also called out Disney after the company opposed the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which prevents public school teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with students.
Amid its feud with the state government, Disney sued DeSantis earlier this year, which resulted in a countersuit from Florida.
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Lately, DeSantis has been struggling to resonate with Republican voters. As a result, he has had to change his 2024 campaign strategy in order to compete with former President Donald Trump. It remains to be seen whether DeSantis can sway voters next month in the first presidential debate of the Republican primary season. The debate is scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The New York Times and Siena College surveyed 1,329 registered voters, with an oversample of 818 likely Republican primary voters, from July 23-27. The poll has a margin of error of 3.67 percentage points for all registered voters and 3.96 percentage points for GOP voters.