Although he has been making what seem like obvious overtures indicating he’s preparing a presidential run, most prospective voters in the GOP’s upcoming presidential primaries aren’t getting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Sure, DeSantis has made a name for himself with his loudmouthed defense of the conservative cause in policy areas from abortion to voting rights to education, and sure, DeSantis has taken trips to politically high-profile spots in the U.S. and to journey points overseas that suggest an interest in expanding his profile, but it’s not really working. In polling recently released by Rasmussen Reports and conducted just this month, 62 percent of the likely primary voters surveyed went with Trump, while DeSantis got just 17 percent. Several candidates who have already announced campaigns for the GOP nomination were in the single digits. That list includes Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, and Vivek Ramaswamy. In other words, it’s probably going to be Trump again.
This result, putting Trump far ahead of both active and potential opponents in the GOP’s race, isn’t unique. DeSantis quickly soared above others in terms of how formidable his showings were in polls, occasionally finishing ahead of Trump… and that was it. A trendline in a weighted average maintained by the elections data and analysis site FiveThirtyEight of polling amid the slowly unfolding GOP primary shows Trump and DeSantis growing further apart, with Trump at an average of a simple majority of the support. Donald has also been receiving endorsements from established party figures, like the Senator currently leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is a party organization that helps lead their efforts in U.S. Senate races.
