The question of who the Republican presidential nominee will be in 2024 continues to be up in the air, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has beat out former President Donald Trump in two straw polls.
While neither man has announced their intentions to run for the White House in 2024, a straw poll taken at a Colorado conservative conference on Saturday found that DeSantis was the favored contender, Fox News reported.
The Western Conservative Summit’s straw poll is now the second that has shown favored interest in DeSantis, who has become a top GOP official with his stance on COVID-19 and education.
The poll was conducted on an “approval” system allowing more than one vote per candidate. The results showed that attendees approved of DeSantis by 71%, while Trump came in second at 67%.
The same poll was taken last year at the Western Conservative Summit, in which DeSantis received a 74% approval and Trump received 71%.
While Trump has been hinting at a potential run for office during his speaking events, DeSantis has announced no notion that he will. Many have questioned whether or not anyone would run to try and beat Trump for the nominee, but if any could, DeSantis seems likely.
Other candidates supported in the straw poll were well below the top two, with Sen. Ted Cruz getting 27%, former Trump official Ben Carson getting 24%, and Arkansas governor nominee Sarah Huckabee Sanders getting 18%.
The conference had several key speakers like Sanders, who spoke about the need for conservatives to find the right candidate in 2024. Former Democratic Rep. for Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, also spoke, giving a speech on the First and Second amendments.
Related
Download the Audacy app and favorite 97.1 FM Talk to stay up to date on the news and opinion that matter most.