Poll: Trump’s Lead over DeSantis Has Grown 19 Points Since February

Donald Trump INSET: Ron DeSantis
Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Post/Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Nick Gilbertson

Former President Donald Trump holds a commanding 34-point lead over his nearest competitor in the Republican primary field, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), according to a Fox News poll. 

Most of the registered voters self-identified GOP primary voters sampled, 56 percent, support Trump for the nomination, while 22 percent back DeSantis. The margin between the pair had grown 19 percentage points since February when Trump led 43 percent to DeSantis’s 28 percent.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has climbed to third place in this poll with five percent after tying for fourth place in May and not being included in February’s survey. Former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) tie at four percent behind him, while three percent would vote for former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC).

Former Govs. Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) are gridlocked with Conservative radio host Larry Elder at one percent. Gov. Doug Burgum (R-MT), former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez did not secure a point.

 

The poll also gauged voters’ appetite for particular GOP candidates, finding that Trump has the highest number of primary considerers at 84 percent. While 58 percent say they “would definitely vote for him,” another 26 percent say they “might vote for him” versus just 13 percent who are Never Trumpers. 

DeSantis has the second-highest number of considerers with 69 percent, including 30 percent who “would definitely vote for him” and 39 percent who “might.” Another 14 percent would “never” cast a ballot for him. 

On the Democrat side of things, President Joe Biden continues to lead a field of three with 64 percent of support, though both of his adversaries are in double digits. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who participated in a NewsNation town hall Wednesday evening, has 17 percent of backing, up from 16 percent in May. Self-help guru Marianne Williamson has climbed to ten percent after posting eight percent last month. 

Of the Democrat primary voters sampled, 49 percent say they would “definitely” vote for Biden, while 36 percent “might” vote for him, and 10 percent would never support him. 

Regarding Kennedy, 14 percent would “definitely vote for him,” another 31 percent “might,” and 26 percent would “never vote for him.” Similarly, 14 would “definitely” back Williamson versus 21 percent who “might” and 18 percent who would not consider her. 

Moreover, the poll finds that 17 percent of all respondents would be “open” to backing People’s Party candidate Cornell West in a potential three-way general election race.

Fox News sampled 1,005 registered voters from June 23-26. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus three percentage points. 

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