Ron DeSantis Drops to Third Place in South Carolina, Donald Trump Holds Commanding Leads in Early States
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Recent polls from the states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina depict former President Donald Trump as leading the Republican primary race by a significant margin. The same surveys reveal that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has fallen to third place in South Carolina, marking the first time this year that he has not ranked second in any national or state-level poll.
In the South Carolina poll, former Governor Nikki Haley, who also served as Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has overtaken DeSantis for second place. Although DeSantis is still second in Iowa and New Hampshire, the polls indicate other contenders are on the verge of surpassing him.
The South Carolina poll, conducted by Fox Business between July 15 and July 19, places Trump at 48 percent support. Haley follows with 14 percent, which is still 34 points behind Trump. DeSantis secured 13 percent, with Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) close behind at 10 percent. This survey involved 808 likely Republican primary voters and has a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Daron Shaw, a GOP pollster who co-conducted the Fox Business poll alongside Democrat pollster Chris Anderson, stated that Trump is the leading force in the race, and the other three candidates are vying to emerge as the prominent non-Trump contender.
The Iowa poll from Fox Business, which involved 806 likely caucus-goers and has a 3.5 percent margin of error, also saw Trump leading the field, with DeSantis significantly trailing him. Trump led by 30 percent in Iowa, with DeSantis securing only 16 percent, and Scott climbing to 11 percent.
A New Hampshire poll, conducted by the Daily Mail and JL Partners, also showcased Trump’s dominance, leading the field by nearly 30 percent despite a slight drop from previous polls. DeSantis had 15 percent of support in this first-in-the-nation primary state. The survey shows candidates like Scott and Christie gaining momentum in New Hampshire, thereby diminishing DeSantis’s opportunity to present a stark contrast to Trump.
The poll was conducted from July 13 to July 20, surveyed 593 likely Republican New Hampshire primary voters, and has a margin of error of 3.9 percent.
