In the lead-up to the 2024 GOP primary, former President Donald Trump appears to have a substantial advantage over his competitors, particularly following Mike Pence’s decision to suspend his campaign.
A recent Morning Consult survey, as cited by Breitbart News, revealed that Trump has garnered the support of 62% of likely Republican primary voters, nearing his previous peak of 63%.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trails Trump by 49 points, securing 13% of the potential GOP primary voter base. Others in the fray include former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley with 7% and Vivek Ramaswamy with 6%.
Mike Pence, who was polling at 5%, announced his withdrawal from the race during the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas. He stated, “Traveling across the country over the past six months, it’s become clear to me: this is not my time.”
Pence affirmed his continued commitment to conservative values and expressed no regrets over his campaign attempt, which was rooted in his divergence from Trump’s stance on January 6, 2021, and a return to core Republican principles.
Pence’s campaign struggled to gain momentum and he faced challenges in qualifying for initial debates. Post his exit announcement, some of Trump’s ardent supporters were particularly critical of the former vice president.
In the larger electoral picture, national surveys display a close race between Trump and current President Joe Biden. A recent PRRI Research/Ipsos survey suggests Trump narrowly leads Biden 48% to 46% nationally, CNN reported after Pence dropped the news.
The outlet noted further:
Pence, who was Indiana governor and a US congressman before being vice president, announced his campaign in early June. He chose to launch his campaign in Iowa, rather than his home state of Indiana, an indication of how much importance he placed on the early-voting state.
He attempted to visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties, focusing on face-to-face interactions in intimate settings. The Midwestern native leaned on his faith and courted fellow conservative evangelicals, a crucial voting bloc in the state.
Significantly, Trump seems to have an edge in pivotal swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, leading Biden by a 6-point margin, as mentioned in the survey cited by Breitbart News.
Consistent with these findings, a Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll from key swing states indicated Trump’s 4-point lead over Biden, largely attributed to concerns over Biden’s economic policies.