Poll: Trump Opens Republican Primary Race with 50-Point Lead

Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign ral
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Hannah Knudsen

Former President Donald Trump is opening up the Republican primary race with a massive 50-point lead over his GOP challengers, an Echelon Insights October survey found.

The survey asked Republicans and Republican-leaners who they would support in the GOP primary race if it were held today. Trump stands out as the runaway frontrunner with 62 percent choosing him as their candidate. Not one individual comes remotely within striking distance, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis comes in a distant second, 50 points behind with 12 percent support.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who Trump has dubbed “Birdbrain,” comes five points behind DeSantis with seven percent support. Vivek Ramaswamy comes in fourth place with six percent support, followed by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott with one percent support.

The survey also put Trump and DeSantis against each other in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup and found 71 percent indicating that they would definitely or probably support Trump, compared to 23 percent who said they would definitely or probably support DeSantis. Six percent remain unsure.

The overall survey was taken October 23-26, among 1,029 likely voters. It has a +/- 4.1 percent margin of error and comes as Trump continues to dominate in poll after poll.

So far, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and former Vice President Mike Pence have dropped out of the race, prior to a single vote being cast.

RELATED VIDEO — Mike Pence Drops Out of 2024 Race at Republican Jewish Coalition:

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Meanwhile, Trump has continued to score key endorsements, most recently earning clear support from Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who urged the Republican party to coalesce behind Trump.

“It’s time for the Republican Party to come together, behind one candidate, and declare with one voice that we are united in our efforts to defeat Joe Biden and rescue America,” Scott wrote, asserting that GOP voters have made their voice “loud and clear” that “they want to return to the leadership of Donald Trump”:

Trump, in turn, considered it a “great honor” to receive the endorsement from Scott.

The next GOP is slated for Wednesday, and Trump will not participate. Notably, a recent McLaughlin & Associates poll found three-quarters of GOP voters contending that there should be no more debates, instead urging the Republican Party to get behind Trump and “fight Biden’s political indictments.” Meanwhile, DeSantis is hoping to generate momentum ahead of the debate, as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) is slated to endorse him at a rally taking place in Des Moines on Monday evening.

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