Report: Insurance, inflation dominate Florida voter concerns

The old political line when it comes to elections, “it’s the economy, stupid,” uttered by Bill Clinton adviser James Carville more than 30 years ago, remains relevant in Florida today. 

That’s a key takeaway from the initial findings in the Associated Industries of Florida’s Center for Political Strategy Statewide General Election Poll, released earlier in June. A powerful lobbying group billed as “the voice of Florida Business,” AIF will present the details at AIF Summer Policy and Political Retreat. McLaughlin & Associates conducted the poll, with a sample size of 800 registered likely general election voters in Florida.

The survey highlights — which don’t have the name of either major party candidate running for president — shows that “economic kitchen table issues remain top of mind for Florida voters.” Results include: 

• Property insurance costs (26%) and inflation (21%) are the most important issues currently facing Floridians. 
• Illegal immigration (13%) and housing costs (10%) are the only other issues to break double digits.
• Voters prefer a generic Republican candidate over a generic Democratic candidate by a 47%-43% margin, with 10% of the electorate undecided. 
• Independents show a preference toward a generic Democrat over a generic Republican by a 43%-36% margin.
• Republicans perform better than Democrats on a majority of issues facing the state, including the economy (44%-23%), reducing inflation/everyday costs (35%-25%), crime (46%-16%), education (38%-31%) and protecting personal freedoms (45%-37%). 
• And, in a rather distressing finding, a plurality of voters (44%) believes neither party is doing an effective job lowering property insurance costs — the top issue in the state.

“The average Floridian is really feeling the effects of the insurance crisis and higher prices,” AIF Vice President of Political Operations Jeremy Sheftel says in the release. “With hurricane season officially underway, it will be worth monitoring to see how voters will respond as the season progresses.”