Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) appears to be struggling in his New Hampshire campaign, according to a recent poll. The results from the CNN-University of New Hampshire show the governor falling to fifth place, with former President Donald Trump holding a healthy lead.
The poll found the former president with a healthy lead, holding 39% of Republican voters in the Granite State. This represents a small increase since a July poll that found him with 37% support.
DeSantis was in a near-tie with three other candidates. In second place was businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who received 13% support. Next was former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), with 12%, then former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
DeSantis followed these three candidates and polled at 10%.
Yikes: New CNN poll in NEW HAMPSHIRE has DeSantis falling into fifth at 10% (broadly, a four-way second-place tie).
Trump 39
Ramaswamy 13
Haley 12
Christie 11
DeSantis 10https://t.co/hp3tMlRLXt— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) September 20, 2023
New Hampshire’s position as the second nominating contest of the Republican presidential primaries could be a make-or-break moment for all of the GOP contenders.
The New Hampshire polling result also corresponds with a spate of national polls that consistently shows Trump in the lead. DeSantis often ranks as second in these polls, but well behind the former president.
Trump has carried a majority of Republican primary voters in every major poll in the RealClearPolitics average. One recent Emerson poll found Trump leading his rivals, drawing 59% of Republicans nationally. DeSantis was in second place, bringing in 12% of the public. Ramaswamy, Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence each carried about 5% of the respondents.
A number of other polls showed very similar results, with DeSantis in second place, well behind the former president.
The poll results also reflect few changes among Republican voters following the first formal Republican debate in Milwaukee. Trump announced that he would not take part in the second official Republican National Committee (RNC) debate next week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Trump recently stated that he would not take part in the coming debate, choosing instead to visit with striking United Auto Workers (UAW), who are in a deep disagreement with three major automakers.
