Has Disney Vs. DeSantis Feud Hurt Voter Sentiment Toward The Governor? Here's What A New Poll Says.

The feud between Walt Disney Co. DIS and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been ongoing, and the two parties are now fighting it out in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

The standoff has had different effects on the two parties, results of a survey showed.

What Happened: DeSantis' favorability rating has seen a sharp decline over the past year, survey results from Navigator showed. The governor had a net favorability rating of -16 in early June compared to a +2 net favorability rating in Nov. 2022. About 48% had an unfavorable opinion toward DeSantis mand 32% were favorably inclined toward him. About 20% were neutral.

The results were based on a nationwide survey of registered voters conducted between June 2 and June 5.

DeSantis' net favorability score was the worst among Democrats as it fell from +20 to -71. Though that was expected, his favorability also took a beating among Republicans. The governor's net favorability among GOP voters dropped from +56 in November to +37 in June.

Among independents, DeSantis' net favorability rating went from -1 to -19 between Nov. 2022 and June 2023.

Disney's net favorability rating remained almost steady at +31 between May 2022 and June 2023. Nearly two in three Americans, or 63%, hold a favorable opinion of the entertainment giant.

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Why It's Important: The trouble between DeSantis and Disney began when Florida passed a law in March 2022 that banned instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through third grade. The law was informally referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Disney issued a statement opposing the law. In retaliation, Florida revoked longstanding special privileges granted to the company's theme parks and the surrounding region in the state.

In February, DeSantis signed a bill that ended Disney's special status and gave himself control over the board that oversees Disney's municipal services. Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis In late April, alleging the governor and the state had engaged in a witch hunt.

Things did not go smoothly with the litigation, as DeSantis' lawyers demanded Mark Walker, the judge who was then presiding over the case, be dismissed. They cited some of Walker's previous statements and expressed doubts over his impartiality. Walker subsequently recused himself, citing a conflict of interest as one of his distant relatives owned shares of Disney.

Allen Winsor, who has now been appointed to handle the case, was nominated by former President Donald Trump. Winsor's appointment was viewed as a positive for DeSantis, as the former, in Feb. 2023, issued a 21-page ruling dismissing a lawsuit that challenged Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

In a court filing earlier this month, Winsor said DeSantis’ deadline to file motions to dismiss the case is June 26. Disney’s deadline to respond to any motions of dismissal is July 26. Defendants may reply no later than Aug. 9, 2023, he said.

Disney stock closed Friday’s session down 1.74% at $91.32, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Read Next: Disney Feud Hurting DeSantis As Bob Iger Believes ‘This Is A Battle You Can Win,’ Says Analyst

Photo: Gage Skidmore via flickr