Here's Which GOP Presidential Candidate Just Bumped DeSantis Out of Second Place in NH Poll

Leah Barkoukis | August 16, 2023 8:35 AM

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is now ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a New Hampshire survey released Tuesday.

According to an Emerson College poll, Christie is now in second place with 9 percent support, while DeSantis lost support since March, going from 17 percent to 8 percent. The former Garden State governor’s lead is within the survey’s margin of error, however.

“DeSantis has been the alternative to Trump in Emerson polling this presidential cycle. This is the first time we have seen DeSantis drop out of second place in our polling, and fall back into the pack of candidates,” said Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling.

Former President Donald Trump is far ahead of his GOP rivals in the survey, with 49 percent support. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is in fourth place at 6 percent support, followed by Gov. Doug Burgum and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, each at 4 percent, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with 3 percent support, entrepreneur Perry Johnson and former Vice President Mike Pence, each at 2 percent, and former Rep. Will Hurd at 1 percent.

The latest survey comes as Christie insists he has a chance of becoming the GOP nominee.

Last month, when Newsmax host Eric Bolling asked why he was even in the race, given how little support he was garnering, the former governor reminded him about where the race stood in 2015.

"Let me remind you that at this time in 2015, Donald Trump was at 6 percent and Jeb Bush was at 24 percent. And I also remember the polls because I was deeply involved in the president’s 2016 campaign that all told us Hillary Clinton was going to win that race, going away to and including the exit polls that night. I’m running because I believe that the country needs a change, that Joe Biden is an awful president of the United States, should have never been there and it’s only because of Donald Trump’s failings that he is there. And what we need to do is move this country in a new direction. Stop looking backwards.”