Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is leading former President Donald Trump among Republican primary voters in Michigan.
According to a new poll by Echelon Insights, 44% of GOP backers in the Mitten State favored DeSantis in a head-to-head matchup with Trump, while 42% backed the former president.
The remaining 11% had no answer.
"This result is notable given Trump's surprise victory there in 2016 and his past strength throughout the Midwest and Rust Belt states," the poll pointed out.
The poll also found DeSantis leading Trump among key demographic groups including seniors, men and residents of the Detroit area.
Trump narrowly leads DeSantis among Republican women, according to the poll.
Echelon Insights says its results are "consistent with state polls throughout the country that show DeSantis leading or competitive with Trump."
The poll also asked GOP voters if they had heard of Trump's recent attacks on
DeSantis using the nickname "Ron DeSanctimonious," first uttered at a November rally in Pennsylvania, and how they felt about it. Thirty percent of voters said they've heard a lot or some about it, 68% they've heard not much or nothing at all and another 2% said they weren't sure, according to the poll.
By a nine-to-one margin, 45% to 5%, voters familiar with the statements said that they thought it reflected more poorly on Trump rather than DeSantis. Exactly half said it didn't change their view either way.
Trump is currently the lone Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis, viewed as a favorable contender among Republicans to receive the nomination, has yet to declare a presidential run.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll from earlier this month found that among Republicans and independents who lean right, 49% would rather see someone new on the ballot than Trump, compared to 44% who want Trump for a third time.
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