Attendees of the Western Conservative Summit were surveyed about their preferred presidential candidate for the 2024 race over the weekend. Among the 30 candidates listed, which included people from both parties, the top contenders were all Republicans.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged out former President Trump in the unscientific poll, 75 percent to 71 percent.
Behind them were Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (42 percent), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (40 percent), South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (37 percent), South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton (both with about 30 percent), Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (29 percent), Donald Trump Jr. (about 25 percent), and former Vice President Mike Pence (21 percent).
The top three issues of concern to attendees were immigration and border security, election integrity, and religious freedom.
The approval voting method allows voters to pick multiple candidates, which "minimizes spoilers and sabotage and gives viability and visibility to minor candidates," according to Frank Attwood, who conducted the poll and runs Approval Voting USA, an organization that promotes its use. Because voters could make any number of choices, the percentages add up to more than 100. […]
The summit, billed as the largest gathering of conservatives outside Washington, D.C., has conducted straw polls for president, vice president and Colorado governor years since 2010. (Colorado Politics)
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A straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February asked attendees who they favored to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2024. Since those surveyed could not give multiple responses, Trump won that contest with about 55 percent support, followed by DeSantis at 21 percent.
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