As the 2024 presidential election looms closer, the top 10 Democratic presidential candidates have been ranked by a poll, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerging as the clear frontrunner. In a head-to-head race between DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, DeSantis took the majority of the votes with 59% support compared to Trump’s 28%.[0] DeSantis was also the top pick among Republican women, receiving 40% of their votes, while Trump came in second with 23%.
The poll, conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab and released by Fox News, showed DeSantis leading Trump by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence trailed behind with just 4% and 8% of the votes respectively.[1]
When Republican women were asked who their second choice would be, DeSantis came out on top with 25% support, while Trump and Pence were tied at 13%. Haley only obtained 9%.[2] FiveThirtyEight’s polls page also showed how Trump, DeSantis and Haley are fairing with potential voters, with DeSantis and Haley having higher favorability ratings than Trump.[3]
DeSantis is expected to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination, likely announcing his bid sometime in the spring.[4] This week, DeSantis unveiled an aggressive right-wing agenda that he plans to push through the Republican-dominated Florida legislature.[4] However, the poll offers warning signs as the proposal to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy is opposed by 75% of voters, compared to just 22% who back it.[5]
It remains to be seen whether DeSantis’s lead over Trump will remain solid in the months ahead, or if the former president will be able to close the gap.
0. “Opinion poll: Floridians favor DeSantis and marijuana, oppose permitless carry and partisan school board races” The Capitolist, 9 Mar. 2023, https://thecapitolist.com/opinion-poll-floridians-favor-desantis-and-marijuana-oppose-permitless-carry-and-partisan-school-board-races
1. “Trump beating both DeSantis and Haley among Republican women: Poll” Washington Examiner, 11 Mar. 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-beating-desantis-haley-republican-women
2. “Who do Republican women support in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race?” Fox News, 11 Mar. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-do-republican-women-support-2024-gop-presidential-nomination-race
3. “Trump, DeSantis And Haley: Americans Like 2 Of Them, But Not The Third” Benzinga, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/03/31227408/trump-desantis-and-haley-americans-like-2-of-them-but-not-the-third
4. “Ron DeSantis wallops Donald Trump in Florida presidential poll — but right-wing state legislative agenda is unpopular” Brunswick News, 9 Mar. 2023, https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/ron-desantis-wallops-donald-trump-in-florida-presidential-poll-but-right-wing-state-legislative-agenda/article_78e7354c-892b-59c9-833b-4ac8290a7e5e.html
5. “Ron DeSantis wallops Donald Trump in Florida presidential poll, but right-wing state agenda is unpopular” Yahoo News, 9 Mar. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/ron-desantis-wallops-donald-trump-201000563.html
