Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting the better of former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary head-to-head matchup.
Monmouth University released a new survey Thursday showing Mr. DeSantis leading Mr. Trump by a 53% to 40% margin among Republican voters, and by a 49% to 46% margin among “strong Republicans.”
The poll showed Mr. DeSantis leads Mr. Trump among most demographics. The noteworthy exceptions are those earning less than $50,000 a year, who broke for Mr. Trump 53% to 38%, and those aged 65 and older, who broke for Mr. Trump 49% to 43%.
“Both Trump and DeSantis are well-liked by the party’s rank and file, but it’s likely that voter opinion of Trump is more firmly set than it is for DeSantis right now,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “The unknown factor is whether DeSantis can maintain this early edge if and when he gets on the campaign trail.”
Various polls have shown Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump battling it out for the top spot in the GOP contest.
Mr. Trump jumped into the race a week after the midterm elections. Mr. DeSantis, meanwhile, is expected to enter the race after the Florida legislature adjourns later this year.
Mr. Trump has targeted Mr. DeSantis with a series of attacks, seeking to tarnish his image in the eyes of GOP primary voters.
Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis remain deeply popular with Republicans. The poll showed 80% of votes have a favorable impression of Mr. DeSantis, compared to 6% who see him in an unfavorable light.
Asked about Mr. Trump, 74% said they view him favorably and 18% unfavorably.
The poll, conducted from Jan. 26 to Feb. 2, included a random sample of 566 registered voters who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percent.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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