Trump leads DeSantis by 43 points among Republican primary voters: Poll

WASHINGTON

Former President Donald Trump remains the front-runner among potential Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential race, according to a recent survey by Morning Consult.

The survey, updated Tuesday, showed Trump with a significant lead of 43 percentage points against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis -- his closest potential rival in the Republican party.

The poll said 61% of primary voters would support Trump, while DeSantis received the backing of 18% of respondents.

Former Vice President Mike Pence received 6% of the votes and former UN envoy Nikki Haley and fellow Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy each received 4%.

DeSantis has not formally declared his candidacy but many believe he will enter the race because of his popularity among the Republican party base.

The survey was conducted May 12 - 14 and polled 3,571 potential Republican primary voters. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.