Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gains ground on Donald Trump in Iowa polls

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is gaining ground on former U.S. President Donald Trump in the early nominating state of Iowa, as revealed by an internal poll released this week.

The survey conducted by WPA Intelligence for the DeSantis-supporting Never Back Down super PAC indicates a neck-and-neck competition between the 44-year-old governor and the 76-year-old former president.

In a head-to-head matchup, Trump received 45% support, closely trailed by DeSantis with 43%, while 12% of respondents remained undecided.

This marks a significant shift from an early May poll conducted before DeSantis officially entered the race, which showed Trump leading with 53% support, DeSantis at 39%, and 8% undecided.

The Florida Governor also made significant progress in a broader Iowa survey that included the entire field of candidates.

The 45th U.S President secured 39% support, followed by DeSantis at 29%, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) at 7%, and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at 6%. Former Vice President Mike Pence and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy each garnered 4% support, while other contenders failed to reach 1%.

According to WPA CEO Chris Wilson and managing director Conor Maguire, both advisers to Never Back Down, “The Republican presidential caucus is a two-person race between Governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump.”

“Despite heavy media attacks against Governor DeSantis, along with some rallying to Donald Trump following the New York indictment, DeSantis’ ballot share has grown in the past month while no other candidate exceeds single digits.”

The poll further highlighted the 44-year-old Governor’s favorable standing among likely Iowa GOP caucus-goers, with 75% expressing a favorable view of the governor and only 17% holding an unfavorable opinion.

DeSantis’s favorability ratings were particularly strong among men (80%), women (79%) with at least a college degree, and Iowans without college degrees (69%).

In a significant development, the survey indicated that the Florida Governor slightly edged out Trump among self-described Christian conservatives, a voting bloc that accounts for nearly half of the Iowa Republican electorate. Wilson and Maguire emphasized this finding, underscoring DeSantis’s potential appeal within this key demographic.

The release of the poll followed Governor DeSantis and his wife Casey’s campaign kick-off, which involved a whirlwind tour of Iowa, as well as early primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Notably, the former President also visited Iowa during the same period and held a town hall event with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Although public polling in Iowa still shows Trump with a substantial lead over DeSantis, the RealClearPolitics average indicates a narrower margin. Trump maintains a 47.7% average, with DeSantis at 25.3%, Haley at 5.3%, Pence at 3.7%, and Ramaswamy rounding out the top five with 2.3% support.

In nationwide polling among Republican voters, Trump continues to enjoy a significant advantage. The RealClearPolitics average indicates Trump with 53.2% support, followed by DeSantis at 22.4%, Haley at 4.4%, Pence at 3.8%, and Ramaswamy at 2.6%.

WPA Intelligence conducted the survey from May 30 to June 1, surveying 655 likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

As the race for the Republican nomination intensifies, the evolving dynamics between DeSantis and Trump will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of the upcoming election season.