Five months before the Republican Party's primaries for leadership, a new poll published today (Monday) in the "New York Times" newspaper found that former US President Donald Trump is the favored candidate for the majority of voters, leading by a significant margin over the other contenders in the party.
According to the poll, if the primaries were held today, Trump would receive 54% of the votes, making him the party's candidate for the presidential elections for the third consecutive time. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is considered a potential challenger to Trump in the primaries, received only 17% of the votes.
The remaining candidates received particularly low percentages of support. Mike Pence, who served as Vice President under Trump during his tenure in the White House, received only 3% of the respondents' votes, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also garnered a similar percentage of support. Senator Tim Scott registered 3% in the poll, and the two remaining candidates – former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and businessman Viyok Ramaswamy – each received 2% of the votes.
As a reminder, the Republican Party's primaries for the presidential candidacy will begin in January next year in the state of Iowa and will conclude at the party's convention in July 2024, where the Republican nominee for the elections, scheduled for November 5, 2024, will be determined. The winning candidate is expected to compete against the incumbent President Joe Biden, who has announced his intention to run for a second term.