DES MOINES, Iowa — Former President Trump, the current front-runner in the Republican presidential primary, has gained a significant lead among registered Republicans in Iowa just days before the state's presidential caucuses, according to a new poll. keeping the lead.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley came in second place, slightly ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who campaigned heavily in the Hawkeye State.
The former president held a nearly 30-point lead in the final NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll released Saturday, solidifying his status as the leading candidate in Iowa. Mr. Trump has the support of some of the most enthusiastic caucusgoers, an important factor given that Iowa is dealing with subzero temperatures and a snowstorm that could affect turnout on Monday.
According to the poll, Trump received first-choice support from 48% of likely Republican caucus attendees, giving her a 28-point lead over Haley since the last time the same poll was conducted. The difference has narrowed slightly. Mr. DeSantis received 16%, while Mr. Ramaswamy, whom President Trump appeared to be hostile to just days before the war began, received 8%.
The latest data marked a change from the previous Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll conducted in December, when Trump had a 32-point cushion.
“He still has an advantage, but there is some slippage,” said J. Ann Selzer, the Iowa pollster who conducted the survey. “The match seems to be a battle for second place, but there is no real challenger in front of us.''
Haley's second place in the poll is an increase of 4 points since December, when she had 16% support. Ramaswamy's approval rating has increased by 3 points since December. Like Trump, DeSantis' approval rating has declined, from 19% in December to 16% in January.
But the poll also had some good news for Mr. DeSantis. The former governor performed well with evangelical voters, a key voting group in the state. 22% chose them as their first choice candidate.
As for enthusiasm, a whopping 49% of Republicans who said Trump was their first choice said they were “very enthusiastic” about him, while 34% and 22%, respectively, said they were “somewhat enthusiastic.” answered. Among Republicans who said DeSantis was their first choice, 23% said they were very enthusiastic about the governor, while 39% and 33% said they were “very” or “somewhat enthusiastic.”
Haley has an even wider difference in enthusiasm in polls, with only 9% of Republicans who said she was their first choice saying they were “very enthusiastic.” Thirty percent said they were “very enthusiastic” about supporting Haley, while 49% said they were “somewhat enthusiastic.”
The poll comes as Ms. Haley's approval ratings are surging nationally, particularly in New Hampshire, which ranks second on the Republican election calendar. Polls show Ms. Haley performed well among independents and people with college degrees. 33% of independents chose her as their candidate.
Haley topped DeSantis in an Iowa poll for the first time, with a Suffolk University poll earlier this week pegging DeSantis at 13%, compared to 20% in the same poll. . A Suffolk University poll showed Trump with a commanding lead, with 54% support.
DeSantis and Haley are locked in a stalemate in the race for second place as President Trump continues to dominate. The Hill/Decision Desk painted a similar picture in Iowa ahead of Saturday's Des Moines Register poll, with Trump at 53.6%, followed by Haley at 17.5%. DeSantis ranked third in average at 15.4 percent.
If Trump wins Iowa by a similar margin of 48%, it would be the largest margin of victory for a non-incumbent in the Iowa presidential Republican caucus.
The poll was conducted from January 7th to 12th among 705 people who appear to be members of the Republican caucus. Overall, the margin of error was plus or minus 3.7%.
Updated at 9:48 p.m.
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