A prominent pollster told Republican donors that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) “has surged” in polls in Iowa after Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, Axios reported Tuesday.
Tony Fabrizio, who was the lead pollster for former President Donald Trump’s last two campaigns for president, also said in a memo that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, polling a distant second behind Trump, had “flatlined.”
“DeSantis has flatlined, Haley has surged, and [Vivek] Ramaswamy is seen as last week’s debate winner,” the memo read, according to Axios.
Fabrizio added that Haley and Ramaswamy are “essentially tied” with DeSantis in New Hampshire, as well. The memo was reportedly sent to “fundraisers and allies of former President Trump.” Fabrizio is also involved in a pro-Trump super PAC.
However, the memo also reportedly noted DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy are still “far behind” the former president in both early voting states.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Trump leads DeSantis, the next-highest average polling candidate in the Republican primary race, by an average of 34.4 percent in national polls.
The Hill has reached out to Fabrizio for comment about the memo.