(TargetLiberty.org) – A new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll which came out on Friday showed that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was preferred by California’s large Republican electorate over former President Donald Trump. This marks another shift in the direction that Republican voters are expected to take in the 2024 presidential primary.
The new poll shows that many conservatives who had previously supported Trump, are now in favor of DeSantis and that DeSantis is most likely to be the Republican candidate that takes votes away from Trump.
In a matchup between DeSantis and Trump, Republicans in California would choose DeSantis, allowing DeSantis to lead by 17 points. The advantage however becomes much smaller once other Republican candidates are added to the mix. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and other Republican contenders would take votes away from DeSantis, but even with them in the race, DeSantis still enjoys a lead over Trump in California.
DeSantis’ favorability ratings among Republicans are also higher than Trump’s rating, which is a big shift from ratings over the last couple of months.
In California, there are 5.2 million registered Republican voters who could play an important role in the Republican presidential primary next March. The primary is particularly important for voters in California as they live in a heavily Democratic state, so it gives them the opportunity to have their voices heard.
DeSantis is set to travel to California next week for an event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
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