Chamber poll finds federal frustration, Florida optimism

As the federal government’s partial shutdown nears the one-month mark, Floridians’ patience with Washington is wearing thin while their outlook on the Sunshine State is comparatively bright.

The latest Florida Chamber of Commerce^[1] statewide poll found just 41% of voters believe the United States is heading in the right direction, compared to 54% who say it’s on the “wrong track. By contrast, Floridians are more evenly split on the state’s trajectory, but optimists hold the edge at 48%-45%.

National pessimism paired with state-level confidence was a recurring theme in the polling, and a similar gulf has persisted through several election cycles, indicating the wall separating Floridians’ views of Washington and Tallahassee has a firm foundation. Still, the polling memo acknowledges the ongoing federal stalemate is amplifying the divide.

Conducted in mid-October, two weeks into the shutdown that began Oct. 1, the survey found broad frustration with D.C. gridlock and waning faith that the federal government is capable of tackling major issues.

More than half of respondents (54%) agreed that government is “too broken to solve the major problems facing our country.” The sentiment was most pronounced among Democrats (63%) and no-party voters (62%), although a plurality of Republicans (44%) said likewise.

“While some voters view aspects of Washington as broken, it is clear Florida continues to be a pacesetter nationally, in no small part due to Florida’s job creators,” Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said in a news release.

As for the current predicament, Floridians were nearly evenly divided on which party is to blame. Thirty-seven percent pointed to Republicans, while 36% said Democrats were responsible. Another 26% faulted both major parties equally.

The Chamber poll, conducted Oct. 16-25 by Cherry Communications, surveyed 608 likely voters and carries a margin of error of +/-4%.