(TotalConservative.com) – A recent poll of Iowa voters shows former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are about equally favorable among Republicans. Iowa is a leading GOP battleground state determining which candidate will be nominated to represent the party in the final election.
According to the survey, 80% of Republicans surveyed through a Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll in Des Moines said they have a very or mostly favorable view of former President Trump, although the poll also showed his favorable ratings have declined in the state, falling by more than 20 points since summer of 2021.
Meanwhile, 75% polled also said they have a very or mostly favorable view of DeSantis, whose popularity among conservatives throughout the country continues to increase. The policies he implemented in Florida over the last few years, detailed in his new memoir “The Courage to be Free,” have been widely popular not only among conservatives in his home state but across the nation.
The poll came out just as DeSantis is making his first-ever trip to Iowa, and three days before Trump is set to return there for the first visit of his third White House bid. Nikki Haley is also visiting Iowa, and Mike Pence was just there last month. Like DeSantis, Pence still hasn’t announced a presidential campaign, but many expect that he will and the former Vice President has already dropped some hints.
Trump launched his campaign last November, and a few months later, in February, Haley also entered the race. The former North Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador under the Trump administration, came out with 53% very or mostly favorable in the poll, although 4 out of 10 did not know enough about her to form a solid opinion of Haley.
Ultimately, it seems like DeSantis will run and will pose the biggest challenge to Trump for the nomination. Even one of Trump’s former White House officials openly abandoned him and recently launched a PAC calling on DeSantis to enter the race.
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