A recent Fox News poll has indicated that former President Donald Trump is leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with 43 percent of the vote. The poll, conducted among 1,006 registered voters nationwide, found Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in second place with 28 percent. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the first Republican candidate to officially announce her candidacy, came in third with 7 percent.[0]
Just over a week before Governor DeSantis is set to visit Southern California, the poll results have emerged. He will address Orange County and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, and will meet with generous Republican donors and party officials at these locations.[1]
The survey also found that, among Republican voters in California with a college degree, DeSantis received more than twice the support of Trump, leading him 39 percent to 21 percent.[0] This is in contrast to Republicans with no more than a high school education, who preferred Trump over DeSantis 45 percent to 30 percent.[2]
Trump has a 15-point lead over DeSantis nationally, but among those with a college degree, DeSantis leads by 7 points.[3] Amongst possible Republican contenders are ex-Vice President Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Ted Cruz, Greg Abbott, Mike Pompeo, and Liz Cheney.[4]
Trump has stepped up his offensive against DeSantis in recent days, crowing about favorable polling and bashing his pandemic record, while deploying disparaging nicknames such as “Ron DeSanctimonious” or “Ron DeSanctus.”[5]
The Fox News poll also showed that 34 percent of DeSantis supporters would back Trump as the GOP nominee, followed by 27 percent supporting Haley.[6] Pence does not appear to garner much support from followers of Trump or DeSantis.[7]
The poll demonstrates that Trump is still leading the pack of potential Republican candidates and that DeSantis is among Republicans’ top choices for the next election cycle. As DeSantis plans to visit California, the visit could be seen as an attempt to solidify his support among California’s Republican voters and gain momentum for a potential presidential bid in 2024.[1]
0. “DeSantis now beating Trump in California GOP primary, poll says” SFGATE, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/ron-desantis-beating-trump-in-california-17803788.php
1. “Poll discloses Republicans’ preferences for 2024 contest | MENAFN.COM” MENAFN.COM, 26 Feb. 2023, https://menafn.com/1105646850/Poll-discloses-Republicans-preferences-for-2024-contest
2. “DeSantis leads Trump by wide margin in California as primary race starts, poll finds” Ponca City News, 25 Feb. 2023, https://www.poncacitynews.com/index.php/news/desantis-leads-trump-wide-margin-california-primary-race-starts-poll-finds
3. “Analysis | The Trump-DeSantis contest may come down to education” The Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/28/trump-desantis-2024-republicans-education/
4. “DeSantis Vs. Trump: Here’s Who GOP Women Favor In Latest Michigan Poll Ahead Of 2024 Election” msnNOW, 26 Feb. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/desantis-vs-trump-here-s-who-gop-women-favor-in-latest-michigan-poll-ahead-of-2024-election/ar-AA17X9u4?ocid=weather-verthp-feeds
5. “DeSantis makes all the moves for presidential run” WPLG Local 10, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2023/02/23/desantis-makes-all-the-moves-for-presidential-run/
6. “DeSantis, Trump emerge as top preferred 2024 candidates among GOP voters” Colorado Springs Gazette, 26 Feb. 2023, https://gazette.com/news/us-world/desantis-trump-emerge-as-top-preferred-2024-candidates-among-gop-voters/article_c4abfb92-9223-5a77-899c-1881ece138b5.html
7. “Trump insists that contrary to his frequent mocking and name-calling of DeSantis, he rarely thinks about the governor …” NewsBreak Original, 24 Feb. 2023, https://original.newsbreak.com/@victor-1588206/2936418325702-trump-insists-that-contrary-to-his-frequent-mocking-and-name-calling-of-desantis-he-rarely-thinks-about-the-governor
