Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to secure second place in the Iowa GOP caucus, while former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is projected to come in third, according to Decision Desk HQ. DeSantis heavily invested in the Hawkeye State, considering this event pivotal to his campaign. Recent polls had indicated that Haley had surpassed him, adding more pressure to DeSantis’s performance in Iowa. However, both candidates were overshadowed by former President Trump, who had garnered over 50 percent of the vote at the time of this publication.
Various polls conducted prior to the results by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill revealed that Trump maintained a solid lead with 53 percent. Haley secured second place with 18 percent, while DeSantis trailed slightly behind at 15 percent. Multiple surveys, including an Emerson College Polling survey and a poll from NBC News/Des Moines Register/Medicom, indicated Trump as the frontrunner, followed by Haley. An Insider Advantage poll, on the other hand, depicted a tie between Haley and DeSantis for second place.
Previously, experts warned that if DeSantis were to secure a third-place finish in Iowa, it could potentially force him to withdraw from the race. Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, expressed doubts about DeSantis’s chances, stating that a distant third-place finish would leave the governor with nowhere else to go.
Despite DeSantis’s strong show in Iowa, concerns about his viability continue to loom as his campaign heads into New Hampshire and South Carolina. Data compiled from New Hampshire polls by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill indicate that DeSantis is currently in third place with nearly 7 percent support. In South Carolina, where polls are also being closely monitored, DeSantis trails behind Haley, securing third place with over 9 percent, while Haley claims second place with 25 percent.
As the Iowa GOP caucus drew to a close, the results have provided crucial insights into the ranking and performance of key Republican candidates. While DeSantis’s second-place finish comes as a relief, he faces mounting challenges to prove his staying power in the upcoming primary states. As the race for the Republican nomination intensifies, the competition remains fierce, with each candidate battling to secure their place in the 2024 presidential race. As the focus now shifts to New Hampshire and South Carolina, DeSantis and Haley will need to strategically navigate the remainder of the primary season to maintain momentum and secure the support needed to contend with former President Trump’s dominance.
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