Trump nears 2/3 support in GOP primary: poll

Former President Donald Trump has the support of nearly two in three Republicans just two months ahead of the start of the party primary process.

Sixty-four percent of Republicans and Republican leaning voters backed Trump in the latest Quinnipiac survey. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stood in second with 15% support while former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took 8%. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy tied for fourth with 3% each.

The October figures represent modest improvements for the top three finishers, as Trump gained 2%, while DeSantis and Haley picked up 3% each. Some of the shift may be attributed to former Vice President Mike Pence's decision to suspend his campaign. In the prior survey, he had earned 5% support. Ramaswamy also suffered a noticeable decline in popularity since the month prior, having placed third with 6% support in September.

Pence's departure from the race appears to have had minimal impact on the stand of Trump's challengers overall, as he maintained a 49% lead in the October iteration, compared to an even 50% in September. DeSantis, meanwhile, may have improved his standing as the second-place candidate, however, he earned less than half of the 36% support he took in February of this year.

The poll falls loosely in line with other surveys as Trump maintains an average 45.9% lead, according to RealClearPolitics. The former president's overwhelming lead in the contest, meanwhile, has Republicans clamoring to cancel the remaining primary debates, the next of which is scheduled for Nov. 8. 

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.