RT reported that the majority of Republicans in California support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the party's candidate in the 2024 US presidential election. Former President Donald Trump finishes second.
Republican voters in Florida could play a key role in determining who will run for president in the Republican primary next year.
The survey was conducted by the Institute of Government Studies Berkeley (IGS) from February 14 to 20, 2023 with 1,755 registered Republicans in California.
About 37% of respondents said they would support Mr. DeSantis, 29% support Mr. Trump.
Other Republican candidates, including former US Ambassador to the United Nations during during the Cold War and former Vice President Mike Pence, have received less than 7% of Republican votes in California.
Among voters with a university degree, Mr. DeSantis has a 2-1 higher approval rating than Mr. Trump. In the sub-group that includes those who voted for Trump in 2020, Governor DeSantis also leads by 11 points.
There has been a serious decline in support among the former presidents ranks. These voters are more in favor of Mr. DeSantis than Mr. Trump, noted Mark DiCamillo, director of IGS Poll.
The Florida governor is scheduled to speak at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and at a fundraising event for the Orange County Republican Party on March 5.
The Los Angeles Times reported that DeSantis will meet with wealthy Republican sponsors. According to the newspaper, the Republican presidential primary election in California scheduled for March 2024 could play a key role in deciding who will win the party's nomination.
The newspaper wrote that California is expected to have the largest delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In addition, California is home to many rich sponsors. The state's estimated contribution to Trump's 2020 campaign is more than $92 million.
Another Yahoo/YouGov poll earlier this month also yielded similar results, showing Trump has a slim chance to beat DeSantis. Governor DeSantis is 4 percentage points ahead of former President Trump.
The polls show that Trump has lost a significant portion of his support after the 2022 midterm election in November - an election that saw former president-appointed candidates get worse results than expected.
