A poll released on Tuesday shows that former President Donald Trump’s lead against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is widening in the Sunshine State.
In a crowded Republican primary, Trump leads DeSantis 60% to 21%, according to a University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab survey.
Over the weekend, a number of Republican state officials in Florida switched their endorsements from DeSantis to Trump. Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, also threw his support behind the former president, and the state party abandoned its governor-backed loyalty pledge to support the nominee who would ultimately compete in the primary.
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“Despite historically high approval in the polls, Governor DeSantis losing steam in his home state doesn’t bode well for his national campaign,” said Dr. Michael Binder, Public Opinion Research Lab faculty director and professor of political science. “Even if you wipe out the rest of the competition in a head-to-head, Trump leads DeSantis by 20 points.”
Respondents were also asked their opinions about former President Trump’s actions after the 2020 election. Seventy-one percent said the statement, “he was just exercising his right to contest the election,” was the closest to their view. Conversely, 16% said they aligned more with the statement, “he went so far that he threatened American democracy.” Fourteen percent said they don’t know or refused to answer.
“Given the support for Trump in the upcoming election, it’s not surprising that most of these voters
think he was within his rights to contest the election,” said Binder. “Interestingly, the 16% who
think he threatened democracy tend to favor DeSantis narrowly over Nikki Haley.”
According to the survey, DeSantis is followed by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley with 6%, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with 2%, and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy with 1%.
In a fictitious head-to-head contest, Trump prevailed over DeSantis 59% to 29%, with 12% of respondents expressing indecision or lack of interest.
On Monday, the New York Times and Siena College conducted polls in six swing states to gauge the potential strength of Republican candidates against President Joe Biden.
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The results were surprising, showing that former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could be formidable opponents to Biden.
The recent polls conducted by The New York Times and Siena College revealed that Haley would be a potent challenger to Biden in the swing states.
- In Wisconsin, Haley garnered 53% of the support, leading Biden by a significant 14-point margin.
- In Michigan, Haley secured 46% of the vote, surpassing Biden by 10 points.
- Pennsylvania showed similar results, with Haley at 49% and Biden at 39%.
- In Nevada and Arizona, Haley maintained a steady lead with a 9-point advantage over Biden.
- Georgia proved to be a closer race, with Haley at 45% and Biden at 40%.
While recent headlines have focused on the challenges faced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his presidential campaign, the polls suggest that he, too, would be a formidable opponent to Biden.
- DeSantis received 48% of the support in Wisconsin, surpassing Biden by 4 points.
- Pennsylvania showed similar results, with DeSantis leading Biden by 4 points as well.
- In Nevada, DeSantis secured 45% of the vote, giving him a 4-point advantage over Biden.
- Arizona displayed a similar trend, with DeSantis at 46% and Biden at 42%.
- Georgia proved to be a close race, with DeSantis leading Biden by a mere 1 point.
- Michigan was the only state where Biden held a slight lead over DeSantis, with 44% to 43%.
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