We're getting a first look at a new poll out of the University of North Florida that shows Mayor Brown's approval ratings are down from a year ago but also has him beating four hypothetical Republican opponents.
Mayor Brown's approval rating has dropped from 70 in February of last year to 59 percent this year, according to the poll. The professor who oversaw the survey says that's not unusual.
"Maybe sometimes you aren't as fervent of a supporter of policies in your own party so you begin to lose some of those [contstituents]," says assistant professor of political science Dr. Michael Binder, who oversaw the study in which over 100 UNF political science students helped collect the data.
Dr. Binder says often when someone is elected, people on the opposite side will normally give the person a shot at first.
"And then you start making policy choices and you begin to lose constituents that are of the other party," says Binder.
Dr. Binder thinks it will be a tight race next May that will ultimately come down to voter turnout.
"We just asked registered voters. This is not any type of likely voter model scenario."
The study, which polled 442 registered voters. also showed that Mayor Brown would beat city council president Bill Gulliford, Sheriff John Rutherford, property appraiser Jim Overton, and Florida Republican Party chair Lenny Curry if the election were held today.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/HJ3L3HBBJBH6PB5ZFB3SVGFXSU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/4TQDXERT5VGORNZ4NQWXNO5H64.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SKX4RKW645ERTATCLA4V2FVRKQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/5PIZRG7NYBAHDDABTG5BNVGO6Y.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/V7JDMMD6JJEEHIL6C7OSLV3ABU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CJI66UGYG52MJYCSTXCAONTWTY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/EDYIW77XOBYL6CORGK4TI53UZQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/JSVAPZ27S37AZ77GWYGTMBSFPQ.jpg)
Sign Up
