If there was a crowded Republican field, former President Donald Trump would be the frontrunner, according to an early poll in the 2024 race conducted by the Growth Action Club, an influential conservative organization.
Trump leads the field in the national poll with 37%, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is second with 33%.
Former Vice President Mike Pence comes in third with 7%, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is in fourth place with 5%, followed by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott with 2%. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin would receive 1% of the vote, while 14% of those polled said they were undecided.
The poll was conducted from January 17-23 and included 3,015 potential Republican primary voters nationwide. The error rate was +/- 1.8%.
When it comes to those who consider themselves “very conservative,” Trump leads DeSantis by 16 points in the group’s poll.
Club for Growth Action president and former congressman Dave McIntosh told reporters Monday that the wider gap between the two with what will likely include most voters in the GOP presidential primary shows that “Trump still has strong traction.”
“If you have a diverse field against him, DeSantis trails behind,” McIntosh noted, but added that the Florida governor’s 35% with this group is “a good starting point.”
For those who consider themselves “fairly conservative,” DeSantis leads Trump by six points.
In a head-to-head match-up between Trump and DeSantis only in a hypothetical primary, DeSantis leads Trump by 9 points.
The relationship between the Macintosh group and Trump has been frigid in recent months, and on Monday, Macintosh signaled an openness to supporting another candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
“We haven’t decided to endorse anyone… What the club believes the Republican Party should do is make sure that whoever we nominate actually wins.” [in the general election]he said, noting that a poll the group conducted earlier showed DeSantis beating President Joe Biden in a virtual head-to-head match.
He added, “I think that means the party should be open to looking at a different candidate. DeSantis is in the strongest position.”
the Americans for Prosperity (AFP)Another prominent GOP outside group with deep pockets backed by powerful conservative billionaire Charles Koch said Sunday it plans to oppose Trump and aid one of his primary opponents.
McIntosh said he would not bring the Club for Growth Action together with AFP, and was quick to say the group would support Trump if he won the Republican nomination.
Vin Gomez contributed to this report.
