A new poll commissioned by a conservative nonprofit suggests Florida voters are broadly supportive of banning certain Chinese-made medical devices from hospitals — and may reward candidates who take that stance at the ballot box.

The Protecting America Initiative survey found a 12-point net margin in favor of prohibiting devices that can collect and transmit patient data to the Chinese Communist Party, with 45% of likely voters supporting a ban compared to 35% opposed.

When voters are told the devices can send their personal health data directly to Beijing, support grows. A majority (55%) favors a ban, and the same share said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who backs one. Just 17% said they would be less inclined to support candidates who take that position.

The group said the findings show data privacy and combatting foreign influence — particularly Chinese influence — are resonating with voters ahead of the Midterms.

Some Florida officials are already ramping up scrutiny of Chinese medical tech. Earlier this year, Attorney General James Uthmeier launched the CHINA (Consumer Harm from International Nefarious Actors) Prevention Unit, which is investigating companies accused of improperly sharing sensitive data with foreign governments, including China.

The Protecting America Initiative supports Uthmeier’s initiative and is running ads thanking him “for his work protecting Floridians from the threat of the CCP.” The organization has also launched previous campaigns urging policymakers to rid U.S. health care facilities of Chinese-made devices.

The survey was conducted online April 6-7. It has a sample size of 1,005 likely General Election voters in Florida. The sample includes voters with a history of participating in Midterm Elections, as well as those who registered to vote after the last 2022 Midterms.

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