Gov. Casey DeSantis? FAU poll said first lady would be a leading GOP candidate for governor.

A poll by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research may encourage Florida first lady Casey DeSantis to mull the possibility of being elected as the state's first woman governor.

Asked who they would prefer as their next head of state, the survey of Florida Republican voters has Casey DeSantis besting other options, including U.S. Rep, Matt Gaetz, a far-right Donald Trump ally often mentioned as a possible successor to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Casey DeSantis drew 37% while the Pensacola congressman received just 15%. The "don't know" category logged 29%, while 19% chose the "another candidate" option.

"The clear takeaway here is that if Casey DeSantis chose to run for governor, if she is not the leader, she would be among a select few that would be immediately recognizable and popular among Florida Republicans," said Kevin Wagner, an FAU political scientist and pollster.

Incumbent Gov. DeSantis drew a 54% approval rate in the poll, too, with 41% saying they "strongly approve" of his performance. Wagner said the relatively high rating may suggest the governor is "rebounding from the more difficult polling numbers" he suffered during his unsuccessful presidential campaign.

And it suggests the couple's political brand remains popular among state Republicans.

"The DeSantis name is well-known. One of the advantages that Casey DeSantis has had is that she has been very visible," said Wagner. "So a lot of Floridians are familiar with her and you can see, generally, that she is in a strong position (among GOP voters)."

The poll of 815 people has a 3.3-percentage-point margin of error.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gov. Casey DeSantis? FAU poll said Florida GOP voters like the idea.