Florida Exit Polls Show Sharp Partisan Divide on U.S. Support for Israel

MIAMI (VINnews) — NBC News exit polls from Florida’s closely contested 2026 governor’s race show a clear partisan split in views on U.S. support for Israel, with Republican-leaning voters far more likely to say the current level of backing is about right or not strong enough, while Democratic-leaning voters were more inclined to call it too strong.​

The data, drawn from the network’s state exit poll in the race between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly, asked voters: “Is U.S. support for Israel: Too strong, not strong enough, or about right?”​

Overall, 46% of respondents said support was “too strong,” 40% said it was “about right,” and 14% said it was “not strong enough.” Among those who said support was too strong, 74% backed Jolly and 25% backed Donalds. Among those who said it was about right, 76% supported Donalds and 23% supported Jolly. Among those who said it was not strong enough, 61% backed Donalds and 37% backed Jolly.​

Donalds narrowly defeated Jolly to become Florida’s first Black governor, according to NBC News projections, continuing a long run of Republican control of the governor’s office. Both candidates had records of support for Israel, though they differed on aspects of recent U.S. policy toward Iran.​

Florida political commentator Bryan E. Leib highlighted the findings in a social media post Thursday, noting that Republicans in the state overwhelmingly view U.S. support for Israel as important while Democrats were more likely to say it has gone too far. He added that Florida “will remain a state that knows Israel is one of America’s greatest allies.”

Florida is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the United States, concentrated in South Florida. In recent cycles, Jewish voters in the state have shown increasing support for Republican candidates compared with national trends, according to prior exit polls.

The NBC exit polls were conducted by SSRS for a consortium of news organizations, including NBC News, and combined Election Day interviews at selected precincts with surveys of early and mail voters.

Donalds, a Trump-endorsed congressman from Southwest Florida, has repeatedly described Israel as a non-negotiable U.S. ally and has pledged zero tolerance for antisemitism. Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, has also described himself as an ally of Israel while criticizing aspects of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and certain U.S. military actions.

The results highlight the ongoing national polarization over U.S.-Israel relations, which has intensified since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and subsequent conflicts.

Sources and methodology note: Figures are from publicly reported NBC News exit poll crosstabs for the Florida governor’s race. Margins of error and full demographic breakdowns were not detailed in the available public summaries of the Israel question. The race results and candidate backgrounds are drawn from NBC News and contemporaneous reporting.