Haley Catches DeSantis; RFK Jr. May Hurt Trump

Poll shows a statistical tie for second, suggests Kennedy's run costs Trump a narrow lead
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 23, 2023 12:40 PM CDT
Haley Catches DeSantis, With Trump Still Miles Ahead
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, left, argues a point with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a Republican debate Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.   (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The 2024 Republican race is a nail-biter—but only for second place. A new USA Today/Suffolk University poll shows that Nikki Haley has caught Ron DeSantis—the former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor is at 11%, while DeSantis is at 12%, within the margin of error. What's more, their trajectories are clear: Haley has improved from 4% in June, while the Florida governor has dropped from 23%. And Donald Trump? He remains way, way in front, with 58%, up 10 points from June. Neither Haley nor DeSantis seem to have a realistic chance of catching Trump in the polls, but they're still vying to be the Trump top alternative.

As for the presidential contest, Trump and President Biden are tied at 37%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 13% and progressive activist Cornel West at 4%. Kennedy has decided to run as an independent, and the poll suggests he might hurt Trump more than Biden, per USA Today. Without him in the race, Trump edges Biden 41% to 39%, with West at 7%. If West dropped out, Biden edges Trump 38% to 37%, with Kennedy at 14%. With neither Kennedy nor West in the race, Biden and Trump are tied at 41%. (More Nikki Haley 2024 stories.)

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