Poll: Donald Trump opens up 32-point lead over Ron DeSantis in Texas

Trump DeSantis
DeSantis led Trump as recently as January, but the trend since is against the Governor.

Donald Trump continues to stretch his lead over Ron DeSantis in the Lone Star State.

A survey conducted between March 30 and April 2 by CWS Research and commissioned by the Defend Texas Liberty PAC finds the former President is supported by more than half of those surveyed, with more than double the support of the Florida Governor, who still is his nearest competition.

Fifty-two percent of the 1,067 likely voters in the 2024 Republican Primary say they back Trump, with just 20% claiming to back DeSantis. Undecided voters are the next biggest group, making up 12% of the sample, with other names much farther back.

Former Vice President Mike Pence earns 5% support, United Nations envoy Nikki Haley is at 4%, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who has ruled out a run, draws 3% support.

This survey, conducted as Trump’s 34-count federal indictment was finalized, is the latest CWS Research poll showing DeSantis losing ground over previous months against Trump. A survey conducted between Feb. 28 and March 2 found 43% of the 867 respondents backing Trump, with DeSantis 16 points behind.

In a January survey from the same outfit, Trump held a narrow 36% to 35% advantage. The same pollster had DeSantis leading Trump back in November, with 43% support being good for an 11-point lead over Trump. That represented the high point of a surge; back in July 2022, Trump held a 19-point lead over DeSantis in the same survey.

Ahead of the latest poll, Trump held a rally in the West Texas town of Waco, where the former President devoted part of the speech to denunciations of “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

In the span of five minutes, Trump touched on various themes, making the case that the Florida Governor, a runner-up to Trump in most polling, doesn’t measure up. He mentioned DeSantis’ previous positions on senior citizen entitlements, recounted the story of the brokered 2018 endorsement, and trashed DeSantis’ performance as Florida Governor.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


5 comments

  • Ron DeSantis wears High Heels

    April 5, 2023 at 3:05 pm

    DeSantis is polling 32 points behind a guy who currently on trial for 34 felony charges.

    Let that sink in and have a good laugh.

  • Billy the Bamboozler McBlue-hair

    April 5, 2023 at 3:06 pm

    GOP might claim law and order but their base certainly isn’t if they pull for a crook like Trump. “I just need you to find more votes than we have” doesn’t sound like law and order…nor do lies to incite a deadly riot. GOP king of sub-apes.

  • Kyle Prescott

    April 5, 2023 at 3:11 pm

    The free publicity Trump is getting is helping him, thanks Bragg. Ron really needs to wait before announcing anything.

    • Christopher S Davis

      April 6, 2023 at 8:25 am

      The free publicity of 34 fraud charges is, somehow, definitely helping Trump’s elderly scams rake in the revenue, but the help Trump really needs is with staying out of prison. He’s going to fracture the MAGA vote off from the GOP, getting his self-declared “retribution” on the GOP from prison. AARP needs to revise their FAQ on how to recognize internet scams, adding a new #1 to the list: “If it says TRUMP, it’s a scam for your money, delete it”

  • Christopher S Davis

    April 6, 2023 at 8:21 am

    Meatwad is also polling behind Frylock, Master Shake, and Carl Brutananadilewski. Because he is a cartoon caricature of a politician. This is why he picked a fight with Mickey Mouse. Rhonda’s Panties needs to be careful about his Disney situation. Jill Casey’s Panties will probably leave him SO fast when she finds out he’s F-ing Goofy. She don’t need no Runaround Ron that’s F-ing Goofy. She can do much, much better.

Comments are closed.


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