WSJ Poll: Ron DeSantis Leads Donald Trump by 14 Points in Potential Primary Matchup 

Among those who say they are very conservative, Trump held a 16 point lead over DeSantis (54-38 percent), while more moderate conservatives backed DeSantis over Trump by 30 points (59-29 percent). More moderate Republicans are less likely to hold sway over the primary season.

The poll also revealed DeSantis is viewed more favorably than Trump. Among Republicans, DeSantis held a 86 percent approval rating, while Trump held a 74 percent approval rating.

Perhaps one of DeSantis’s greatest challenges is recognition. The poll found “one in 10 likely GOP primary voters said they didn’t know enough about Mr. DeSantis to venture an opinion of him.”

Pro-Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, who helped conduct the survey, told the Journal DeSantis and Trump are likely to have a competitive GOP primary. “It is going to be a competitive primary,” he said. “The two favorites right now would be Trump and DeSantis.”

File/Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (R) sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting with Governors-elect in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 13, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Getty)

The poll sampled 1,500 registered voters from December 3-7 with a 2.5 point margin of error. The polling margin of error among only Republican voters was 6 points.