Washington, Oct 30 (The Street Press) – Less than three months before the big Iowa Republican event, a recent NBC News poll tells us that ex-President Donald Trump is way ahead of other Republican competitors. Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are in a close race for second place.
In a survey done last week by the Des Moines Register and Mediacom, Trump held a massive lead of almost 30 percentage points over the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the Florida governor, just before the Midwestern state’s caucuses on January 15.
Trump remains a strong contender in Iowa, despite facing multiple legal challenges. He’s dealing with four criminal and three civil trials, some connected to his efforts to change the 2020 election results against Joe Biden. Surprisingly, 65% of those surveyed believe he could win the November 2024 election against Biden, who is running for re-election.
J. Ann Selzer, who conducted the poll, told Reuters, “He’s still the dominant player in the field, and his standing has in fact improved from August.”
Out of the 404 likely Iowa caucus-goers surveyed from October 22 to 26, 43% made Trump their top pick, with 16% each choosing Haley and DeSantis, according to the poll. The poll comes with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
This poll is concerning for DeSantis, who has invested significant time and resources in campaigning in Iowa. On the other hand, it’s a positive sign for Haley, who has gained momentum following two strong debate showings.
Trump’s lead of 27 percentage points is an increase from August when he had a 23 percentage point lead over DeSantis. A number of Republicans view the charges against Trump as politically driven.
It’s worth noting that the poll was carried out before the recent development of Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, withdrawing from the race over the weekend.
