Both major parties remain hyper focused on the future 2024 presidential contest for the White House. In the Republican party primary, the former president Donald Trump continues to maintain a sizable lead over a crowded cluster of rival candidates. Trump, maintaining a 45-point lead over his nearest challenger, Ron DeSantis. While he faces four criminal indictments, Trump retains the vast majority of support from GOP voters.
In a desperate, last-ditch attempt to gain political traction, Ron DeSantis, polling at a distant second place, moved 33% (or one third) of his campaign staff to Iowa as he attempts to gain ground in the decisive caucus primary. Iowa is the first state for primary voting for Republicans, and this may very well be the Florida Governors last chance to turn the tide of campaign before it is too late. DeSantis for a time appeared to be the only real threat to Trump; in early 2023 there was even a period when the formerly popular governor enjoyed support by some 40% of Republicans. Regardless, his poll numbers disintegrated over the spring and summer months, and Trump has decisively and nearly run away with the nomination. Unless a serious and significant shift in voter opinions occurs, the efforts of DeSantis and other rival candidates will likely be for naught. The Republican voting base remains decidedly behind Trump.
In a recent development, a lead strategist in a Super PAC for Ron DeSantis resigned following a report that made the organization look questionable. The Washington Post had shared a series of releases from the PAC, named “Never Back Down” that alleged misconduct and mismanagement. It appears that some senior officials were also fired as a result of leakages of fallible information. A strategist named Jeff Roe left the organization following the release. Although Roe claims that the Post’s report is factually incorrect, he nonetheless still resigned. DeSantis continues to trail Trump significantly and appears quite stagnant.
