Tipsheet

Is This DeSantis’s Chance to Make a Comeback?

Former President Trump has been dominating the GOP playing field since announcing his 2024 campaign— and that doesn't seem to change anytime soon.

However, one Republican candidate is picking up steam among Iowa voters. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is closing the gap between him and Trump as the governor looks to revamp his campaign due to sliding poll numbers and declining endorsements

According to a Public Opinion Strategies survey, a polling firm working for the DeSantis campaign, the Florida governor's support spiked from 14 percent to 21 percent following the first GOP presidential debate earlier this week. 

However, it is worth noting that polls conducted by a campaign usually come with an agenda that skews the results to favor that candidate. 

Trump went under by only one percentage point, from 42 to 41 percent. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's support jumped from 3 percent to 11 percent, while South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott slid from eight to seven percent.

On the other hand, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy saw a giant slide among Iowa voters post-debate. His support dropped from 10 percent to seven percent. 

The poll shows a three percentage point difference between DeSantis and Trump post-debate, with the former president securing 43 percent support and the governor garnering 40 percent support. 

Before the debate, DeSantis trailed far behind his opponent at only 34 percent compared to Trump's 51 percent support. 

During Wednesday night's debate, former Iowa GOP co-chair Dr. Cody Hoefert declared victory for DeSantis. 

"There was one candidate that stood in the center of the stage and stood strong at spoke about the issues Iowans cared about," Hoefert said. "He talked about leadership. He talked about what he's going to do to deliver and fix the problems that our nation faces." 

On the other hand, a Morning Consult poll found that Trump did not suffer after choosing to skip the first GOP debate. 

Both pre-debate and post-debate, Trump garnered 58 percent support among potential Republican voters, while DeSantis sits at 14 percent support. 

Ramaswamy saw a jump in his approval among voters, going from 10 percent pre-debate to 11 percent post-debate.