A big red wave may be on its way to sweep the Florida legislature following a new poll on Wednesday, Oct. 5 that showed a strong lead for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as many other candidates on the ticket, just days after Hurricane Ian left the state battered. Politico first reported the story. 

The Mason-Dixon poll results show DeSantis with a steady 11-point lead over his opponent, Democratic candidate Charlie Crist, by a 52% to 41% margin. 

In addition to DeSantis — who is enveloped in relief efforts after Hurricane Ian’s landfall — many candidates vying for the legislature maintain solid, double-digit leads. 

Mason-Dixon told Politico poll results may vary, contingent upon Florida’s recovery. 

"This is a slight improvement since earlier in the year. It will be important to see if he can maintain or improve it in the coming weeks, as his leadership will be tested by state attempts to repair and recover from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ian," said Brad Coker, the polling group’s director. 

DeSantis’ lead is ubiquitous across Florida, where voters from all age ranges, gender and unaffiliated political ideologies are likely to support the Governor in the coming elections. 

A notable exception to the results were the traditionally Democratic counties in Southeast Florida, where Crist held a significant lead, although overall, DeSantis’ command over the results, as well as the approval ratings, grant him a big edge. 

Currently, DeSantis continues relief efforts for a recovering Florida after a destructive Category 4 hurricane lashed through the state. The state’s response, while ongoing, has been rocky among legislators. 

All 16 House Republicans in the legislature voted against federal relief to the amount of $18.8 billion, while in Congress, Senator Rick Scott also voted against aid. Senator Marco Rubio was not present when voting took place, though he cited concerns surrounding “a bunch of things,” which deterred him from a timely vote.

Still, the bill traversed safely through the federal government, allowing for the President to emit much needed relief. Amid the government’s negotiation, both Sens. Scott and Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry wrote a letter to the appropriations committee requesting for a robust federal response. 

This week, Biden touched down in Florida as part of the tour to visit hurricane battered places — which included a stop in Puerto Rico, whose residents continue to recover from Hurricane Fiona, a category 1 hurricane that left 100% of the island without electricity.

“We were very fortunate to have good coordination with the White House and FEMA (...) We got a major disaster declaration approved by the President and we really appreciated that and that basically set off the massive mobilization that we had ready,” said DeSantis at a press conference. 

Mounted criticism had also found its way to DeSantis when allegations surfaced that a state trooper halted relief efforts while the Gov. was en route. DeSantis has repeatedly repudiated the allegations, but was caught in the weeds of a local beef with relief operations personnel. 

“Ron DeSantis’ team is now calling brave Floridians liars for telling the media about his photo-op that halted recovery efforts in South West Florida,” said Karla Hernández, Charlie Crists’ running mate.

Christina Pushaw, the former head of communications for DeSantis, now a part of his campaign team, called the debacle “misinformation.”

According to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, operations “stayed rolling” prior to DeSantis’ arrival, though relief personnel maintain was not the case. Footage shows frustrated relief personnel, whereas the Governor did not address press questions while the situation transpired.