Former President Donald Trump is boasting a sizable lead in Texas’s hypothetical 2024 Republican primary race, a CWS Research/Defend Texas Liberty PAC survey found.
The survey showed Trump leading the pack with 43 percent support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in a distant second with 27 percent support. No other candidate came close, as presidential candidate Nikki Haley placed third with five percent support followed by Sen. Ted Cruz and former Vice President Mike Pence, who garnered four percent support each.
Anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who also formally joined the presidential race, garnered two percent support, while Sen. Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saw one percent support each.
Overall, 13 percent remain undecided.
The survey represents a boost for Trump and decrease for DeSantis in the Lone Star State over the last two months.
In January, Trump and DeSantis were close, with 36 percent support and 35 percent support, respectively. In other words, Trump has experienced a seven point gain, and DeSantis has seen an eight point loss since January’s survey.
The survey was taken February 28 – March 2, 2023, among 879 2024 Texas Republican primary voters:
The survey comes as several other state-level surveys show Trump leading the pack.
For instance, a recent Neighborhood Research and Media poll shows Trump leading in South Carolina by double-digits, and a recent Public Policy Polling survey found Trump leading in the swing state of Pennsylvania by double digits as well:
Further, an Emerson College Polling survey released this month showed Trump with a 41-point lead over the potential primary field in New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, the latest University of North Florida (UNF) Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) survey shows DeSantis leading in his home state with 52 percent support.