Election Poll: Trump Leads DeSantis By 14 Points; 49% Want Him To Run As GOP Nominee

Former President Donald Trump has solidified himself as the Republican frontrunner after a poll showed that he has a comfortable 14 percentage points advantage against his closest primary challenger.

A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released Wednesday found that in a potential 2024 primary matchup between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 50% said they would vote for the former president, while 36% said they would go for DeSantis.

The survey also found that almost half of potential GOP primary voters want Trump to be the nominee.

Trump, who was recently found liable for sexual misconduct and defamation in cases filed against him by magazine writer E. Jean Carroll, still enjoys wide support from Christian Evangelicals, with an overwhelming 58% of surveyed said they prefer Trump as the GOP nominee.

Only 33% of the religious denomination said they would go for DeSantis, while 9% are unsure who to vote for.

Announcements from other candidates, such as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and speculations that former Vice President Mike Pence is also considering a run, have failed to put a dent in Trump's numbers.

As the real estate mogul still enjoys wide support from the base, the battle for the Republican Nomination is said to be between Trump and DeSantis.

DeSantis said he would not announce his decision before the end of Florida state's legislative session. He said at a news conference on Friday that he might launch his presidential bid "relatively soon."

"I also understood that we had this opportunity here to be able to really, really do a lot of great stuff, and I've always said that we're gonna see this through," DeSantis told reporters per The Hill. "What happens in the future? We'll get on that relatively soon."

Politico reported that the GOP-controlled Florida legislature has already passed the bill allowing DeSantis to run for president without having to resign as governor, which many believe to be the only thing that's keeping him from announcing his candidacy.

The same survey also put incumbent President Joe Biden ahead of Trump and DeSantis. Around 45% said they would vote for or support Biden, while 43% said they would go for Trump.

Meanwhile, Biden topped DeSantis 45% to 42% in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup. Biden's lead, however, was still close to or within the margin of error.

The survey was conducted from May 5 to May 8, and a total of 1,584 participated in the poll. The margin of error was 2.7%.