Florida wants Donald Trump and Rick Scott — but also abortion rights, legalized weed: poll

Florida Voters Support Trump and Scott, But Buck GOP Norms on Marijuana and Abortion

A recent poll in Florida shows strong support for Donald Trump in a presidential race and Rick Scott in his Senate re-election bid. Surprisingly, half of the Republicans surveyed also support legalized marijuana and abortion rights.

Despite having more registered Republicans than Democrats in the state, Trump leads Kamala Harris by 7 points in a head-to-head matchup. Scott is also ahead of Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by 4 points in the poll of likely voters.

The key to victory for both candidates lies with independent voters. Trump has a 12-point lead with them, while Scott is up by 2 points, indicating a close race that Democrats are hopeful about.

Despite the strong support for Trump and Scott, Florida voters seem ready to vote against traditional Republican stances on marijuana and abortion. Amendments legalizing cannabis and removing abortion restrictions are expected to pass with over 60% of the vote.

Amendment 3, which legalizes the personal use of marijuana, has 64% support, while Amendment 4, which limits government interference with abortion, is supported by 69% of voters.

These amendments, opposed by Republican leaders in the state, highlight a disconnect between elected officials and constituents. Half of GOP voters support legalizing marijuana, and 53% want to remove abortion restrictions imposed by the Republican legislature.

Independents and Democrats overwhelmingly support these amendments, with 63% of unaligned voters backing marijuana legalization and 71% supporting the abortion measure.

However, there are challenges ahead for these amendments. The marijuana measure faces opposition campaigns, while the abortion vote could be affected by a contentious financial impact statement added to the ballot.

Despite these challenges, Florida voters seem poised to re-elect Republicans to key positions while also pushing back against traditional GOP priorities.