New polling suggests Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is leading former President Donald Trump head-to-head and when up against the rest of the projected GOP field of presidential candidates.
DeSantis leads Trump head-to-head 57% to 33%, but in a crowded field, he still holds the advantage, according to a poll conducted by WPA Intelligence of 1,000 GOP primary voters from Feb. 13-16.
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Against the larger field, DeSantis has 40%, Trump has 31%, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence each have 8%, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has 5%, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has 2%, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has 1%, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has less than 1%.
Our latest national poll of Republican primary voters:
— WPA Intelligence (@WPAIntel) February 23, 2023
DeSantis 40%
Trump 31%
Haley 8%
Pence 8%
Cheney 5%
Pompeo 2%
Rubio 1%
Hogan 1%
T. Scott <1%
Sample: 1,000 verified GOP primary voters. Conducted February 13-16.
Despite leading the field and being seen as the top candidate on the GOP side, DeSantis has not announced whether he will seek the presidency in 2024. Reports suggest DeSantis is looking to announce a bid in late May or early June, after Florida's legislative session concludes.
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The other declared major candidates for the Republican primary include Trump, Haley, and author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The poll was conducted before Ramaswamy announced his bid.
More Republicans are expected to announce bids in the coming months, as recent polling has shown Trump and DeSantis are the two front-runners in the race for the nomination.