A new poll out in recent days puts Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of former President Donald Trump among Republican primary voters in the state of New Hampshire.
The poll, from the University of New Hampshire, gives DeSantis a twelve-point lead over Trump in the Granite State:
A new poll in New Hampshire suggests that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a double-digit lead over former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 GOP presidential nomination matchup in the state that has traditionally held the first presidential primary in the race for the White House.
The poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center was released two days before Trump — the only major Republican who has declared his or her candidacy in the burgeoning presidential race — heads to New Hampshire to give a keynote address at the state Republican Party’s annual meeting.
DeSantis, who has yet to say if he’ll launch a presidential campaign, stands at 42% support in the survey of likely GOP presidential primary voters in New Hampshire, with Trump at 30%.
As the previous sentence notes, DeSantis hasn’t announced his intention to run for president, yet. Recent reports, however, indicate that his closest advisors are currently preparing for a run and exploring staffing options as they lay the groundwork:
Advisers to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are actively preparing for a possible presidential run, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the conversations who described meetings and preliminary staffing moves — the latest indication that DeSantis is laying a foundation for a national campaign.
DeSantis’s political team has already identified multiple potential hires in early primary states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, according to one of the Republicans, who said experienced operatives have expressed interest. This Republican also said that Phil Cox and Generra Peck — two key members of DeSantis’s 2022 reelection team — are involved in ongoing talks about 2024.
Another Republican with knowledge of the conversations said DeSantis advisers met recently to discuss the 2024 election. The Republicans spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks.
It’s no secret DeSantis intends to run but the eventual collision into the primary with Trump is already making waves on the campaign trail. Over the weekend, amid Trump’s events in New Hampshire and South Carolina, DeSantis’ name came up during an interview with CNN:
Former President Donald Trump took aim at Ron DeSantis Saturday, claiming the Florida governor and his team are “trying to rewrite history” regarding their Covid-19 pandemic response, and called the potential presidential run by his GOP rival “very disloyal.”
“There are Republican governors that did not close their states,” Trump told reporters while aboard his plane. “Florida was closed for a long period of time.”
“They’re trying to rewrite history,” he added. CNN has reached out to DeSantis for comment.
It’s been speculated that DeSantis will attempt to run to the right of Trump on the Covid-19 response related to lockdowns and closures. Trump is currently working to spin that narrative before it begins by accusing DeSantis of flip-flopping on his policies in the early days of the pandemic.
There are still a few months left before DeSantis will be free and clear of the Florida legislative session where he’s expected to notch a few more victories on issues ranging from abortion, gun rights, and his fight against woke indoctrination.
Under that timeline, the real DeSantis-Trump battle isn’t set to erupt until more toward the late spring or summer months when DeSantis might plausibly declare his candidacy and kick off a presidential run.
