Ron DeSantis once looked like the future of the Republican Party.
But he's limping through his final year as Governor with voters turning on him.
And Ron DeSantis' approval rating just hit one nasty number that shows his failed presidential run cost him dearly.
DeSantis Hits Second-Lowest Approval of His Entire Governorship
A new Mason-Dixon poll dropped some brutal news for DeSantis entering his final year in office.
The Florida Governor's approval rating fell to 50% with 46% disapproving — a net positive of just four points.
That's his second-weakest showing since taking office in January 2019.
The only time DeSantis polled worse was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020 when he sat underwater at 45% approval and 49% disapproval.
Back in March 2019, DeSantis enjoyed a sky-high 62% approval rating with just 24% disapproval — a net positive of 38 points.
Now he's barely treading water.
The latest numbers show a steady slide from March 2025 when DeSantis had 53% approval.
His net favorability collapsed from plus-11 last year to plus-4 today.
Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker admitted DeSantis still has decent numbers but can't hide the trend.
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"Overall, a 50% approval rating is not bad — it is simply somewhat lower than what he has enjoyed throughout his tenure," Coker said.
The Damage Shows Up in Key Voter Groups
The crosstabs reveal exactly where DeSantis is hemorrhaging support.
Independent voters have abandoned him in droves.
His approval among no-party-affiliation voters crashed 10 points from 51% to just 41%.
Hispanic voters are walking away too — down from 57% approval to 49%.
Black voters have written him off completely at 84% disapproval to 7% approval.
Women voters just flipped against DeSantis — 49% now disapprove while only 45% approve.
The only groups keeping DeSantis above water are white voters at 58% approval and Republicans who back him 86% to 10%.
Democrats predictably loathe him at 87% disapproval.
Failed Presidential Run Destroyed DeSantis' Political Capital
DeSantis made the biggest mistake of his career when he challenged Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination.
The campaign was a disaster from day one.
His announcement on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk crashed spectacularly from technical glitches.
DeSantis burned through cash hiring dozens of staffers then had to fire 40% of them within two months to conserve resources.
His Never Back Down super PAC descended into infighting that created negative headlines drowning out his message.
The Florida Governor vowed to win Iowa but lost by 30 points to Trump.
He dropped out before the New Hampshire primary after finishing in a distant second place.
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DeSantis Returns Home to Find His Power Diminished
While DeSantis wasted eight months getting destroyed on the campaign trail, his political muscle in Florida atrophied.
DeSantis' endorsement power has evaporated since his presidential failure.
In 2022 at the peak of his influence, DeSantis backed 30 school board candidates and 25 won.
During the 2024 primary after his presidential collapse, DeSantis-backed candidates lost in traditional conservative strongholds like Indian River, Sarasota, and Flagler counties.
A longtime Florida Republican operative granted anonymity to speak candidly summed up the shift.
"In 2018 a Trump endorsement was inflatable. In 2022, DeSantis could have handpicked anyone in Florida he wanted. In 2024, you need more than an endorsement to win," the operative said.
Even Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez now publicly feuds with DeSantis over priorities like property tax relief and congressional redistricting.
Florida House Democrat Leader Fentrice Driskell twisted the knife.
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"The sad thing about that is, when they're fighting, it's the people of Florida who lose, because we focus on these political stunts like redistricting, rather than focus on the affordability issues like lowering property insurance and making sure people can find affordable housing," Driskell said.
University of South Florida political science professor Susan MacManus explained that DeSantis lost his grip on the Legislature.
"During the last year of a governor's tenure, you have legislators who are no longer feeling that they have to step in line with the governor," MacManus said.
DeSantis Needs Big Wins to Keep 2028 Presidential Hopes Alive
DeSantis turns 47 this year and is young enough to take another shot at the White House.
But first he needs to score major policy victories in his final legislative session.
DeSantis is pushing hard for property tax elimination for primary homeowners — something he could campaign on as the first Governor to achieve it.
University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett said the property tax push is about positioning for another presidential run.
"If he could oversee the first state to actually eliminate property taxes for homeowners — all of those things are not just about policy," Jewett explained. "They're about him solidifying his legacy as a conservative governor who got a lot of things done and who has a future as a presidential candidate."
DeSantis also has to contend with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading in early 2028 GOP polls.
For a Governor who once seemed destined to inherit the MAGA movement, DeSantis now faces an uphill battle just to remain relevant.
Sources:
- Drew Wilson, "Poll: Ron DeSantis' approval slips but remains above water," Florida Politics, January 14, 2026.
- Jim Rosica, "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis job approval slips to 50%, poll says," USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, January 14, 2026.
- Mitch Perry, "DeSantis at 50% approval in latest Mason-Dixon poll," Florida Phoenix, January 14, 2026.
- Anthony Man, "Florida voters' approval of DeSantis declines at start of his final year," Orlando Sentinel, January 14, 2026.
- Matt Dixon, Dasha Burns, Allan Smith, Abigail Brooks, "'A total failure to launch': Why Ron DeSantis was doomed from the start," NBC News, January 21, 2024.
- Samantha Putterman, Amy Sherman, Louis Jacobson, "Fact-checking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' final State of the State speech," PolitiFact, January 13, 2026.
