What’s Happening:
GOP presidential candidates have been jostling for stronger positions heading into the 2024 election. All are facing a larger-than-life challenge in overtaking former President Donald Trump.
In the current political landscape second place is a key position for any challenger. As the field dwindles, especially after the withdrawal of former Vice President Mike Pence, every boost in voter support will carry weight for challengers.
One candidate continues to surge, and her recent upswing has changed the leaderboard among Republicans. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has gained ground in the key early primary states.
From the Daily Caller:
Haley is tied for second with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Iowa at 16%, following former President Donald Trump’s lead with 43% support, according to a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll.
Support for Haley increased from 6% to 16% in two months while DeSantis’ dropped by 3 points. Trump didn’t see any big surge, but his support increased by 1 point as he maintains a considerable lead. Iowa is a key early nominating state with its primary set for Jan. 15.
Haley campaign spokesperson Ken Farnaso played up the bold new numbers for his candidate. Haley is now polling in second place in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. He said it is now, “Time to start talking about a two-person race, one man and one woman.”
Other candidates still in the race are lagging further behind or just holding their place in the rear of the GOP pack in Iowa. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is holding in third place, but his support dropped by 2 points since August, according to the poll. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy both received 4%. Christie’s support dropped by 1 point and Ramaswamy’s held steady. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson made inroads in Iowa but are still polling behind all others and in the lower single digits at 3% and 1%, respectively.
Haley has gained momentum in the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary and the South Carolina primary where she is polling ahead of DeSantis and only trails Trump. Still, Trump doubled her numbers in each state.
The DeSantis campaign isn’t ceding any ground with Haley based on the poll numbers. Andrew Romeo, communications director for the DeSantis campaign, said in a statement that public polling in October hasn’t historically been indicative of who will win the Iowa Caucus and “it won’t be this time either.”
All GOP challengers face an uphill battle trying to unseat Trump as the frontrunner in this election cycle. An October survey of support in Nevada showed Trump at 60% with DeSantis and Ramaswamy at 11% each and Haley at 8% support.
The RealClearPolitics average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between Oct. 4 and Oct. 23, indicates Trump is leading the field by roughly 47 points. The nearest challenger is DeSantis with 12.6%, Haley with 8.3%, Ramaswamy with 4.5% and Pence, who suspended his campaign on Saturday, with 3.5%. Christie tallied 2.4%, Scott received 1.6% and all other GOP hopefuls mustered less than 1% support.
Key Takeaways:
- Early voter polling shifts leaderboard for Republican candidates.
- Iowa has a new top contender in the race to overtake Trump.
- Nikki Haley gains momentum against fellow GOP hopefuls.
Source: Daily Caller
