Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is beating Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott in a hypothetical 2024 primary match-up, according to a new poll conducted by veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio.
Politico first reported:
In a hypothetical three-way primary for president, DeSantis gets 64 percent support compared to 12 percent for Rubio and 10 percent for Scott, according to Fabrizio’s survey, which was conducted last week for a private client and shared with POLITICO. That 52-point lead over Rubio represents a massive increase since July — the last time Fabrizio polled a matchup between the three and found DeSantis ahead by just 11 points over Rubio. […] Fabrizio’s survey of 304 Republicans had a margin of error of +/-5.6 percent.
Speaking to Politico, Fabrizio said DeSantis’s survey figures are a positive sign for the rising GOP star if he chooses to seek the White House in three years. “In order to run for president, you need to have your home state, you need your home base. And DeSantis clearly has that,” the pollster said.
“Given the attention in the state to Scott’s and Rubio’s positions and votes on the outcome of the election, it’s kind of startling to see DeSantis, by an even wider margin, is perceived as Trump’s biggest supporter of the three,” the pollster added.
Fabrizio’s poll isn’t the only one in which DeSantis performed strongly. Last week, Echelon Insights survey released a poll showing former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and DeSantis (R) rounding out the top tier in a non-Trump 2024 Republican field. The poll, which was conducted between February 12-18, was comprised of 1,005 registered voters and 430 Republican voters or Republican-leaning voters. It asked respondents, “Would you like to see Donald Trump run for President in 2024?”
Breitbart News reported: “Twenty-one percent chose Pence, followed by Cruz, DeSantis, and Donald Trump Jr. with ten percent, eight percent, and eight percent, respectively. That reflects a two-point jump for Cruz and six-point jump for the Florida governor since January.”
DeSantis has seen his popularity rise in recent months due to handling of the coronavirus pandemic and new initiatives designed to reign in big tech’s power.
Not only are potential voters excited about a possible bid for the White House by DeSantis, but so are some high-profile Florida Republican lawmakers, such as Rep. Matt Gaetz.
“What Ron DeSantis didn’t say, which is the truth, is that the Biden folks know that if Donald Trump is not the candidate in 2024, the leader of our movement will be Ron DeSantis,” Gaetz said.
“He is a strong potential presidential candidate in 2024. The Biden team knows that, and so they’re trying to somehow cast aspersions on the Florida experience because you know what, throughout America, there’s a lot of Florida envy right now,” he added.
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