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Former President Donald Trump has pulled ahead of his closest expected Republican challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by 13 percentage points in a new survey of a hypothetical head-to-head primary matchup.
The Wall Street Journal poll of likely GOP primary voters released Friday found 51% supported the 76-year-old Trump, while 38% backed DeSantis, 44.
The remaining 11% said they were undecided.
The result represents a near-complete reversal from December, when the Journal poll showed DeSantis with 52% GOP support and Trump with 38%.
When confronted with a potential 12-person primary field, 48% of Republican voters still back Trump — double DeSantis’ 24% support. No other potential contender cracked double figures, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley getting 5% support and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) at 3%.
Longshot candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who has never held public office, received 2% support, while a slew of declared and potential candidates — including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — all polled at 1% or less.
“If you are with Trump, you are with him,” Democratic pollster Molly Murphy, who helped conduct the survey, told the Journal.
