Former President Donald Trump is opening up with a 35-point lead in the Lone Star State, the latest CWS Research survey found.
The survey asked Republican and independent respondents:
If the upcoming 2024 Republican Primary for president were held today, and the candidates were Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Doug Burgum, and Will Hurd for whom would you vote?
Trump opens up with support from nearly half of likely 2024 Texas Republican primary voters — 48 percent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fell 35 points behind with 13 percent support in the Lone Star State. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott fell eight points behind with five percent support, followed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, and anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom saw four percent support.
Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks about educational freedom at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Va., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky).
Three percent chose former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Rep. Will Hurd, and one percent chose former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Fifteen percent remain undecided.
Trump still dominates in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis, 53 percent to his rival’s 29 percent support in Texas. In that scenario, 18 percent remain undecided.
Then-Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (R) sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting with Governors elects in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 13, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
The survey was taken July 30-31, 2023, among 606 likely 2024 Texas Republican primary voters and has a +/- 3.981 percent margin of error:
It also comes as the DeSantis campaign chooses not to focus on Super Tuesday states, such as Texas, as revealed in a confidential leaked memo last month. The July 6 memo, labeled as a “confidential friends and family update” that was “not for distribution,” outlines the campaign’s strategy in an attempt to reassure donors, adding that “pro-DeSantis efforts are currently and will continue to run a robust effort in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire, that includes paid media and field.”
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Matthew Perdie / Breitbart News, Jack Knudsen / Breitbart NewsSuper Tuesday states, however, are not the campaign’s current focus, per the memo.
“While Super Tuesday is critically important, we will not dedicate resources to Super Tuesday that slow our momentum in New Hampshire. We expect to revisit this investment in the Fall,” it added.
The memo also attempted to identify candidates “who are realistically being courted by the electorate.”
“As it has been for the last year, Trump and DeSantis remain the only viable options for two-thirds of the likely Republican primary electorate,” it continued, adding that it found “low to no interest in Vivek, Burgum, and Nikki while far too many voters will not consider Pence and Christie for them to feel remotely viable.”
However, Cygnal’s August poll found Ramaswamy overtaking DeSantis for second place, and a recent NHJournal/Coefficient poll found DeSantis dropping to single digits, tying with Christie for second place in New Hampshire.
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Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News
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