The number of candidates vying for the 2024 GOP nomination in the 2024 election has increased, with one of Donald Trump’s main rivals officially throwing his hat in the ring. Here’s the impact Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' formal announcement has had on a crucial poll.
What Happened: Rumored for months, DeSantis officially announced his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, setting up a matchup against his former ally Trump.
With DeSantis running for president, polls could get more accurate, with survey respondents now knowing who is officially in the race.
A poll from Morning Consult conducted in the days after DeSantis’ announcement (May 26 to May 28) saw a narrowing of the 43-point gap that Trump had in mid-May.
Trump has 56% of support in the latest poll, with DeSantis ranking second at 22%. Following the two leading candidates are Mike Pence at 5%, Nikki Haley at 4%, and Vivek Ramaswamy at 4%.
The 34-point lead is smaller than two weeks ago, but remains elevated over leads of 25 points in March and 17 points in February.
In the poll, a hypothetical scenario is presented where President Joe Biden would face off against either Trump or DeSantis, depending on who secures their party's nomination.
Biden and Trump are deadlocked at 43% each in the latest poll, a change from a 44% to 41% victory for Biden in the mid-May poll.
A hypothetical matchup between Biden and DeSantis sees Biden with a 43% to 40% edge, compared to Biden's 43% to 40% edge two weeks ago.
Related Link: DeSantis Declares Presidential Bid With Musk On Twitter Spaces: Social Media Becomes Pivotal For 2024 Election
Why It’s Important: Trump is seen as the betting favorite to win the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election, and has dominated most polls in recent months.
The latest poll shows the official announcement from DeSantis led to more people voicing support for the Florida governor than when he was still a rumored candidate.
Morning Consult also published a piece showing how DeSantis could continue to make up ground against Trump.
DeSantis receives only 15% of the vote among those aged 18 to 34 and only 16% for those aged 35 to 44. DeSantis gets his strongest support from those aged 45 to 64 at 25% and those aged 65 or older at 26%.
DeSantis also shows strong results from those with higher education.
The poll finds that fewer people who back Trump have formed views on DeSantis, which could be an opportunity to sway potential voters.
While Trump leads in the overall poll, the two candidates have similar favorability ratings, with Trump at 79% and DeSantis at 71%. On the unfavorable side, DeSantis actually leads, getting only 14% versus 20% for Trump and 33% for Pence.
While DeSantis closed the gap against Trump in the Morning Consult poll, he could still face the tough task of gaining support against Trump. One wild card could be Pence and his decision on entering the 2024 race. With 5% of the vote, Pence is the next highest vote-getter.
Trump has dominated polls, including those that were conducted after a jury found him liable of sexual abuse against writer E. Jean Carroll.
A town hall with Trump appearing on CNN saw the former president call the events of Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol a “beautiful day” and refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election. Supporters of the former president seem unfazed by the comments and Trump’s actions.
With the official announcement behind him, DeSantis is expected to begin campaigning and touring more states, which could be a development to monitor if the governor picks up more support as he tried to increase his name and brand awareness ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Read Next: DeSantis Not The Only One, Another Trump Ally Turned Adversary Could Be Joining 2024 Election
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