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A poll of New Hampshire voters found that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now statistically tied with former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 New Hampshire Republican primary matchup, with DeSantis faring better against President Joe Biden in a general election contest. The poll comes after a report that DeSantis has not asked Trump for a formal endorsement in his gubernatorial race and does not plan to do so.
A primary featuring both men, who are seen as likely candidates, would test the limits of Trump’s sway on the Republican Party as an ex-president.
SIX KEY HOUSE JAN. 6 COMMITTEE MOMENTS ABOUT TRUMP PRESSURE ON ELECTIONS OFFICIALS
The new Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, found DeSantis has a slight edge over Trump, 39% to 37%, among likely Republican primary voters, a lead within the survey’s margin of error. Former Vice President Mike Pence trailed the pair for third place at 9%.
The pollsters noted DeSantis’s support has more than doubled since the same poll was conducted in October.
“Trump slipping in pre-primary polls is part of a typical pattern,” Andrew Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center, said in a statement. “A party’s losing candidate in the prior election is typically the best-known person in their party. As the primary gets closer, new candidates emerge and attract more media attention, and therefore more voter attention, than the losing candidate from the previous election.”
Though still nearly two years away, New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary is an important contest, as an early victory can give campaigns momentum for further contests.
DeSantis, a former member of Congress, has surged in popularity with Republican voters as he became a fixture in conservative media for engaging in culture wars and limiting COVID-19 restrictions in Florida.
The poll also found both Biden and Trump are becoming increasingly unpopular in New Hampshire. Only 54% of self-identified Democrats want Biden to run again. While Trump fares better within his own party at 62% who want him to seek the presidency again, similar minorities of general election voters, 30% and 29%, said they want Trump or Biden to run again, respectively.
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DeSantis would fare better against Biden than Trump, the poll indicates, with voters preferring Biden over Trump 50%-43% in New Hampshire in a general election matchup, but they prefer DeSantis to Biden at 47%-46%.
