Florida, Nebraska Governor Races Tighten as Rural GOP Support Slips Below 50%

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 20

Fox News shifted Florida from Likely Republican to Lean Republican and said Nebraska’s governor race is also becoming more competitive in the final two weeks before the midterms.
Just under half of rural voters now say they will back the GOP in November, down from nearly two-thirds who supported Trump in 2024, with cost-of-living and job worries driving the erosion.
In Florida, Republicans still hold a 1.5 million voter-registration edge, but polls show weaker Hispanic support for the GOP: 31% prefer the Republican candidate, 12 points below Trump’s 2024 level.
In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen faces added pressure from a 5% state budget cut, a hiring freeze, independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn’s turnout effect, and third-party 'America First' candidate Brett Lindstrom.
The same rural unease is also narrowing Senate and House contests across heartland states, especially where anti-establishment independents are challenging Republicans in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.