DeSantis holds 14-point lead over Trump in hypothetical match-up: poll

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) leads former President Trump by 14 points in a hypothetical 2024 GOP primary match-up, according to a new poll. 

The Wall Street Journal survey released on Wednesday found that DeSantis leads Trump among likely Republican voters, 52 percent to 38 percent. 

DeSantis also has an advantage in his approval rating, with 84 percent of Republicans surveyed having a favorable view of him. By comparison, 71 percent said they have a favorable view of Trump. 

DeSantis’s name recognition also appears strong, as only about 10 percent of likely GOP primary voters said they did not know enough about him to have an opinion. 

Trump became the first major candidate to announce their run for the White House last month, but several prominent Republicans, including DeSantis, are reportedly considering bids against him for the nomination. 

DeSantis has been relatively quiet on whether he plans to run compared to some other possible candidates, but early polling has consistently shown him to be the most-supported alternative to Trump in a Republican primary. 

Polling has shown DeSantis closing in on Trump or in some cases taking a lead over the former president since the midterm elections last month. DeSantis led Trump by 23 points among Republican and Republican-leaning voters in a USA Today-Suffolk University poll released Tuesday. 

Trump has received criticism from many in his own party in the past month for the GOP’s disappointing performance in the midterms. The former president endorsed candidates in the primaries who were seen as weaker general election choices but more loyal to Trump than their opponents, and many of these candidates went on to lose in key races. 

In the new Wall Street Journal poll, DeSantis was viewed favorably by 43 percent of all respondents, while Trump was viewed favorably by 36 percent. Trump’s overall approval rating is the lowest for him in a Journal poll since last November. 

Trump still led DeSantis by 16 points, 54 percent to 38 percent, among respondents who identify as very conservative, while DeSantis led by 30 points, 59 percent to 29 percent, among those who identify as somewhat conservative. 

Trump performed better among Republicans with a high school education or less, while DeSantis led among college-educated voters. The Florida governor also leads among urban and suburban voters, and Trump and DeSantis are locked in a tie for rural voters. 

The Journal noted that a Republican primary could look quite different from the poll as multiple possible candidates may run. 

The poll was conducted among 1,500 registered voters Dec. 3-7. The margin of error was 2.5 points.