Most voters would rather see Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., as the GOP nominee in 2024 over former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll that also found the majority of Democrats do not think President Biden should seek re-election next cycle.
A Marquette Law School poll revealed that in a hypothetical 2024 matchup between DeSantis and Biden, the two candidates were tied among registered voters, both receiving 42% support. About 11% said they would choose a different candidate.
The results reflect a major increase in support for DeSantis compared to a January Marquette poll where he received only 34% support compared to Biden’s 43%. In a March poll from the university, the Republican governor began gaining momentum, locking in 35% support and eventually hitting 38% support in a September survey.
When respondents were asked who they would vote for if Trump were the GOP nominee and Biden the Democratic pick, the poll found Biden with a 10-point edge over the former president, 44% to 34%. Nearly 20% of respondents said they would choose a different candidate and 4% would not vote.
The results show a decline in support for Trump over the past few months, after a March poll found he received 38% support, while still trailing Biden by 5 percentage points.
When asked who they would rather see as the 2024 GOP nominee, DeSantis or Trump, 63% said DeSantis would have their vote, while only 36% were rooting for Trump to win the primary.
DeSantis also led among Republican-identifying respondents, receiving 55% support over 45% who would like to see Trump representing the party in the 2024 presidential election.
According to the poll, 67% of respondents do not think Biden should seek another term in the White House. Among Democrats, 53% do not think the president should run in 2024.
IF REPUBLICANS WANT TO WIN IN 2024, THESE ARE THE VOTERS THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND
Among all respondents, 55% disapprove of Biden’s handling of the presidency, according to the poll.
The Marquette Law School survey was conducted from Nov. 15-22, with a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.