ORLANDO, Florida — Former President Donald Trump won the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll with 59% of the vote, proving his continued hold on the Republican Party.
But it also showed a clear preferred alternative to Trump. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – who had a home-court advantage with the conference being held in his state, with many Florida residents attending the conference – came in second place with 28%. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in a distant third place with 2%, and all other names had less than that.
DeSantis surged in the straw poll when Trump was taken out of the picture, winning with 61% and being the alternative preference for two-thirds of those who picked Trump. Pompeo and the former president’s son Don Trump Jr. tied for second place at 6%. Results came from responses from 2,574 attendees.
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The annual gathering of conservatives largely acts as a temperature-check on the mood of the Republican base and a testing ground for potential presidential candidates, but the straw poll is not necessarily a reliable predictor of the next Republican presidential nominee, though. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the 2016 CPAC straw poll with 40%.
The results, though, put a tangible data point on Trump’s continued hold on the conservative movement and Republican party, which was plainly visible in a smattering of Trump-branded clothing and paraphernalia at the annual gathering of thousands of conservatives. Not one, but two booths in the CPAC’s sponsor exhibition hall sold Trump-themed merchandise. He was the only speaker to completely fill the conference center’s ballroom – the largest one in the state of Florida, according to American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp.
Results suggest that the battle for 2024 is largely the same as last year, but that DeSantis has gained popularity. At CPAC 2021, 55% of attendees said that they would vote for Trump if the election was that day, DeSantis came in second place with 21%, and all other candidates were in single digits. Without Trump in the picture, DeSantis led with 43%.
Held soon after Trump left office and on the heels of his second impeachment over the Jan. 6 riot, the 2021 staw poll also showed some cracks in his popularity: Just 68% of attendees rather than an overwhelming majority said that they did not want to see Trump run again.
Trump’s straw poll win at CPAC 2022, held this year from Feb 24-27, comes as he came as close he could to declaring a 2024 presidential run without crossing the line to do so in his Friday speech: “We did it twice and we’ll do it again. We’re going to be doing it again a third time.”
CPAC taking place in Florida, home of DeSantis, stoked worries among some operatives that the results could be skewed toward him and dampen Trump’s popularity.
Trump spoke at a private VIP reception before going on the main stage for his speech on Friday. Tickets were handed out freely to many general admission attendees, but they had to show that they had completed the straw poll beforehand.
He also did not mention DeSantis in his Friday speech as he gave shout-outs to other Republicans in the room and who spoke at the conference.
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DeSantis was a clear star on the first day of the conference, with attendee after attending telling the Washington Examiner that they were most excited to see him after Trump. For some, it was a toss-up on who excited them more.
Devin Standard, a defense contractor who moved to Florida from New Hampshire, said that “it’s quite a toss-up” whether he is more enthusiastic about Trump or DeSantis. “I’m more of a state guy, so I prefer the state guy to the national guy.”
