DeSantis hits single digits in key primary state: poll

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is in fourth place for South Carolina's Republican primary, earning single digit support in the state and losing out to not just former President Donald Trump, but the Palmetto State's two homegrown Republican candidates.

DeSantis took 9% support in the latest Monmouth University survey, compared to 46% for Trump. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott earned 18% and 10%, respectively.

Despite Trump's clear status as the favorite candidate in South Carolina, the state's voters view Scott more favorably overall. The senator earned a 62% favorability rating while Trump earned a 60% and Haley reached 59%.

Conducted Sept. 6-11, the survey questioned 506 South Carolina Republican primary voters.

The survey results are bad news for DeSantis, who has seen his political stock tumble since declaring his campaign earlier this year. Though he remains the second place candidate in most polls, his position in key primary states appears to be weakening. While he remains second place in Iowa, DeSantis trails Trump by 30.2% on average, per RealClearPolitics. In New Hampshire, he trails by 31.0%. He places third behind Haley on average in South Carolina and is 35.3% behind Trump there.

Trump maintains a 43.6% lead nationwide.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.