Florida GOP voters prefer DeSantis over Trump, poll shows

Former President Donald Trump may have a battle on his hands in the 2024 Republican primaries, after polls show voters in Florida and elsewhere favor Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the 2024 presidential GOP nominee. DeSantis has not said he plans to run.

The Sunshine State governor’s popularity has grown exponentially since first taking office in 2019, especially after Florida’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic offered a haven from lockdowns and restrictions, and DeSantis’ no nonsense leadership style became a hit with conservatives.

According to a poll by GOP firm Ragnar Research Partners, DeSantis has a “favorable” view with 86% of Republican voters and only a 10% “unfavorable” view from voters.

By comparison, Trump lagged DeSantis with a 48% “very favorable” rating, a 70% overall approval, and a 26% disapproval.

The firm’s pollster, Chris Perkins, noted that when it came to job approval, “DeSantis and [Sen. Marco] Rubio both have very strong job approval ratings among Republican primary voters and it’s very clear they do not like [President Joe] Biden.”

Ragnar Research Partners did not respond to a request for comment.

The Hinckley Institute of Politics and Deseret News in Utah conducted their own poll and found that in a hypothetical presidential race in Utah, DeSantis held a comfortable lead with 24.2% support. Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney was second with 16.4% support, and Trump came in third at 14.6%.

The recent re-election of DeSantis saw the governor defeat his opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist, by 20 points. DeSantis also won Miami-Dade County, a historically blue district.