By A.G. Gancarski
FloridaPolitics.com
December 28, 2021
Trump still leads overall.
Though a new poll of a hypothetical 2024 Republican Presidential Primary field has Donald Trump ahead among most demographics, one key voting bloc preferred Gov. Ron DeSantis over the former President.
A new survey of 420 registered voters from Yahoo! and YouGov shows that among survey respondents making at least $100,000 a year, DeSantis is the choice of 36% of those surveyed for the 2024 GOP nomination. Trump came in second place, with just 28% support.
DeSantis also came in first place among independent voters indicating a Primary preference, with 32% support compared to 30% for Trump.
These were the only two demographics DeSantis carried. Overall, Trump had 44% support, DeSantis 23%. No other name surveyed had more than 5% support.
DeSantis also led among voters making more than $100,000 a year in the November survey from the same pollsters. Last month, DeSantis was the choice of 31% of relatively affluent Republican Primary voters, eight percentage points ahead of the former President.
Still, Trump continues to say DeSantis would back out of any plans to run for President, because the Governor knows he can’t win against him.
“I do think if I run, he won’t,” Trump told South Florida radio host Brian Mudd in November. “I know they try and create a friction. I don’t think it exists at all. It might, you know, you never know. If he wanted to run, that’s OK with me. I think we’d win by a lot. But he’s good. And he’s done a good job as Governor.”
Trump had previously said he thought DeSantis would “drop out” of any 2024 race if Trump got in. DeSantis likewise has been coy when asked about 2024, calling the chatter about it “nonsense.”
One potential complication for DeSantis in 2024 is a former aide working closely with Trump already. Susie Wiles, who was exiled from DeSantis’ orbit, was key to Trump winning Florida in 2016 before spearheading DeSantis’ defeat of Democrat Andrew Gillum.
DeSantis parted ways with Wiles soon after his election. If there is a direct face off between DeSantis and Trump ahead of 2024, expect Wiles to have a unique perspective on how to maximize Trump’s leverage against his one-time political protege.
There is a reason rich people would like to see DeSantis run as president. They know he will work for them, and it will always be at the expense of the rest of us.