Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is leading former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nod in their shared home state.
According to a new survey from Mason-Dixon Polling, in a hypothetical matchup, 44% of Republican voters say they're backing DeSantis, while 39% are behind Trump.
Only 5% are supporting other candidates, while 12% haven't made up their minds yet, the poll showed.
While Trump was the first Republican to throw his hat into the ring, DeSantis has yet to formally announce a 2024 campaign. However, the governor is expected to launch a run for the White House in the late spring after the Florida state legislature wraps up its annual session.
The poll also showed that DeSantis' job performance rating has improved among Florida voters since winning re-election in November. Statewide, 59% said they approved of DeSantis' performance in office, while 39% indicated disapproval and only 2% were unsure, according to the survey. That's an increase of 4 points since just before the 2022 election.
DeSantis is "by far" more popular than either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump among Florida voters, the poll says. Statewide, 53% have a favorable opinion of DeSantis and 36% have an unfavorable view. Both Trump (39% favorable/50% unfavorable) and Biden (33% favorable/54% unfavorable) "are underwater in the Florida," according to the poll, which was conducted between March 27 and 30.
That trend holds up among Republican voters, too. DeSantis' favorable
recognition is 87%, compared to 71% for Trump, the survey shows. Trump's negatives with Republicans (19%) are almost triple those of DeSantis (7%).
While DeSantis may have the edge among Florida voters, most national polls have Trump leading the way. A new Fox News poll released last week, a day before Trump was indicted on criminal charges, showed 54% of respondents would pick Trump in a presidential primary, versus 24% who would vote for DeSantis.
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