Poll: 70% of Kentucky Republicans Back Donald Trump for Nomination

Former President Donald Trump is backed by 70 percent of Kentucky Republicans in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, according to an Emerson College/Fox 56 Lexington poll.

The poll published Sunday shows that 70 percent of “very likely” GOP primary voters in Kentucky say they support Trump for the nomination, giving him a 56-point advantage over his nearest potential competitor, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who is at 14 percent. Trump’s edge has grown by a net 17 points in just one month, as April’s Emerson College/Fox 56 Lexington poll out of Kentucky showed him leading DeSantis 62 percent to 23 percent:

2024 Kentucky Republican Primary Polling Trends by Emerson College (A-)

April:
• Trump — 62% (+39)
• DeSantis — 23%
• Pence — 4%
• Haley — 4%

MAY:
• Trump — 70% (+56)
• DeSantis — 14%
• Pence — 4%
• Haley — 3%
• Ramaswamy — 3% pic.twitter.com/BzLQqvOapg

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 15, 2023

As was the case in April, no other declared or potential candidate garners more than four percent support in the latest poll. Four percent of respondents back former Vice President Mike Pence, while three percent back former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) draws two percent, while one percent support Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is set to announce a decision on a White House run in late May. 

The survey also gauged support for Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial primary in Kentucky, finding that Trump-endorsed candidate Attorney General Daniel Cameron enjoys a double-digit lead over the field, having 33 percent of support. Another 18 percent of respondents back former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, followed by Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who has 13 percent, and attorney Eric Deters at 10 percent. No other candidate approaches double-digit backing. 

The poll found that nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) say they are “More likely” to vote for a candidate with Trump’s endorsement versus just 12 percent who are “Less likely.” Another 41 percent say Trump’s backing has no impact on their vote one way or the other. 

Additionally, the poll asked primary voters if they think “[President] Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was legitimate or not legitimate,” finding that 21 percent believe it was legitimate, and 79 percent do not think it was. 

The poll sampled “500 very likely Republican Primary Voters” between May 10-12. The margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points.