The Grind:
Ahead of the first GOP presidential primary debate, a recent Quinnipiac survey has indicated a decline in support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis among GOP and GOP-leaning voters. The poll reveals that DeSantis’s support has slipped to 18 percent, marking his lowest point in Quinnipiac’s Republican primary surveys. In contrast, former President Trump maintains a solid lead with 57 percent support in the same voter group. This is a notable shift from February when DeSantis trailed Trump by a narrower margin of 6 points; his current deficit is now 39 points.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy secures third place in the poll with 5 percent support, while former Vice President Mike Pence follows closely with 4 percent support. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina all share a tie at 3 percent support.
The Details:
The survey, conducted from August 10 to 14 among 681 Republican and Republican-leaning voters, holds a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points. Additionally, an Emerson College survey of New Hampshire voters, also released recently, exhibits a parallel decline in DeSantis’s support. In this poll, DeSantis drops to third place after Trump and Christie.
Emerson College Polling’s Executive Director, Spencer Kimball, observed this change, noting that DeSantis, who had been an alternative to Trump in their polling, has now slipped out of second place and is no longer leading the pack of candidates.
As the political landscape evolves and primary debates approach, the dynamics among GOP contenders continue to shift. The changing preferences of Republican voters underscore the evolving nature of the race and the challenges candidates face in maintaining their positions in a competitive field.