US Republican 'Jamlung' DeSantis Surpasses Trump in Texas Poll

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on the 15th (local time). Meanwhile, a poll showed that Ron DeSantis, Florida Governor and a leading Republican presidential contender, once again surpassed former President Trump in a hypothetical Republican primary race. This poll is particularly notable as it surveyed voters in Texas, a Republican stronghold and key state.

According to the Texas Republican Party and polling agency CWS Research, a survey conducted on 1,099 registered voters in Texas from the 12th to 13th asked, "If the Republican presidential primary were held today, who would you support?" 43% chose Governor DeSantis, while 32% supported former President Trump. Following them were former Vice President Mike Pence (5%), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (4%), and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (1%), all in single digits.

Additionally, when asked, "If former President Trump does not run in the primary, who would you support?" 66% pointed to Governor DeSantis. Earlier, a survey conducted by YouGov after the midterm elections showed that 42% of Republicans and pro-Republican independent voters preferred Governor DeSantis as the next Republican presidential candidate, while former President Trump garnered 35%. This marks a sharp reversal compared to a survey just a month ago, where former President Trump (45%) led Governor DeSantis (35%) by 10 percentage points.

The state where this survey was conducted, Texas, has 38 electoral votes, the second highest after California (55), making it an important region for the Republican Party. In the last presidential election, former President Trump won all the electoral votes from Texas with 52.2% of the vote. Among the survey respondents, 78% were Republican supporters and 22% were independents.

Meanwhile, former President Trump, who has been under scrutiny for the Republican Party's unexpected poor performance in the midterm elections, invited the media to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida at 9 p.m. on the same day to make a "major announcement" as previously announced. Jason Miller, one of Trump's advisers, stated, "He will announce his presidential candidacy," adding, "His speech is expected to be very professional and restrained." If former President Trump declares his candidacy, it will be his third attempt following his 2016 presidential victory and 2020 re-election defeat.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.