Trump wins record 7th CPAC straw poll as Noem, Ramaswamy tie in veepstakes

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday captured a record seventh CPAC straw poll win as he tries to parlay a double-digit lead nationally into a third straight Republican presidential nomination.

Trump won the annual preference poll of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference with 94% and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished second with 5%.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and businesss entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tied in a poll for Trump's 2024 Vice President pick. 

Trump addressed the conference Saturday before heading to South Carolina where he’s expected to defeat Haley in that state’s GOP primary Saturday evening.

Trump now stands as the all-time leader of the CPAC straw poll with seven wins, followed by Utah Sen. Mitt Romney with four, and Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul with three wins each.

The Conservative Political Action Conference conducts the straw poll annually to get an idea of who the Republican base wants for its next president. 

Trump is expected to win the 2024 Republican nomination for president, as he is ahead of his primary challenger, Haley in her home state of South Carolina. 

Nationwide, Trump's lead is much stronger, with him leading Haley by an average 57.9%, with a total of 74.8% support to Haley's 16.9%