(RepublicanPress.org) – The pool of so-called “viable” candidates for the Republican presidential nomination battling it out for number two remains on hyperdrive despite former President Donald Trump’s commanding 51+ point lead averaged across the nation’s premier polling organizations. Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has been slowly gaining on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis since mid-August. She recently pulled ahead of him in several national polls.
Nikki Haley Unceremoniously Takes Second Place From Ron DeSantis
Over the last month, Haley has pulled ahead of DeSantis in four of the nation’s 14 top polls and tied him in three. They include the following surveys with the latest poll at the top.
- USA Today/Suffolk University: 13 points to 10, conducted from December 26 to 29
- Rasmussen Reports: 13 to 9, 12/19 to 12/22
- The New York Times/Siena College: 11 to 9, 12/10 to 12/14
- Emerson College Polling: Haley 14 points / DeSantis 7, 12/4 to 12/6
Haley and DeSantis are tied with 11 points each on the latest polls from Morning Consult, Quinnipiac University, and Reuters/Ipsos. Trump’s lead over his nearest contender ranged from 38 points at the low end on Rasmussen Reports to 57 on Fox News.
Not So Fast!
If one takes the time to look at the nation’s two leading sites publishing real-time polling averages, the situation doesn’t look quite as good for Haley. For instance, as of the evening of January 3, RealClear Polling showed Haley leading DeSantis by a margin of 11 points to 10.9. Trump held a 51.7-point lead on the site.
Inversely, ABC News’ FiveThirtyEight showed DeSantis leading her with 12.1 points to Haley’s 11.2. The former president holds a 49.7-point lead over the Florida governor on FiveThirtyEight.
Third Place and Beyond…
RealClear Polling and FiveThirtyEight only show the polling results for three other candidates: businessman and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Governor and US Representative Asa Hutchinson.
Ramaswamy appears to have a strong hold on third place with 4.3 points on RealClear Polling and 4.8 on FiveThirtyEight. Christie has a death grip on fourth place (3.3 points/3/4 points). Hutchinson has only managed to pick up 0.8 points on both sites.
Republican dropouts so far included former Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Texas Representative Will Hurd, Senator Tim Scott (SC), and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Meanwhile in Trumplandia
With the nation’s first primaries lurking around the corner, the Republican nomination appears to be Trump’s to lose by most accounts. The Washington Post recently called the former president the GOP’s “runaway favorite,” citing its review of polling data and interviews with “dozens” of officials, strategists, and Republican voters.
Haley and DeSantis are hoping for a strong showing in the vital early states of New Hampshire and Iowa. As WaPo reported, many Republicans “view Trump” as the Republican Party’s “inevitable nominee.”
Time will reveal the victor and losers soon enough. In the meantime, Haley and DeSantis seem trapped in the whirlwind of vying for the Silver Medal!
Copyright 2024, RepublicanPress.org
