Trump leads in new SC poll, but this contender has a solid hold on second place
Former President Donald Trump continues to hold a large lead over the rest of the Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina, according to a new Washington Post Monmouth University Poll.
But former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley appears to have solidified herself in second place, according to the survey results released Thursday.
Trump received 46% of the support in the poll, which had a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points. Haley had 18%.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina’s other GOP presidential hopeful, received 10% of the support.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received 9%.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had 5%, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was at 3%, former Vice President Mike Pence was 3%, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was at 2%.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 6-11 and included 506 likely Republican voters who responded via phone and online surveys.
Previous surveys of likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina have shown Haley and DeSantis running closely together for second place.
But Trump has remained the frontrunner in the state, which will hold its GOP presidential primary Feb. 24.
He still draws large crowds in the Palmetto State, including tens of thousands of people at a Pickens rally in July.
The proportion of South Carolina voters who plan to stick with Trump also is strong. In the poll, 76% of Trump supporters say they will definitely sticking with him, with only 23% saying they might consider someone else.
Of those supporting another candidate, 33% said they are definitely sticking with their first choice, but 63% said they would consider another hopeful.
South Carolina holds the first in the South presidential primary and is key for any White House hopeful. The winner of the GOP primary has gone on to win the nomination in every election since 1980 with the exception of 2012.
Haley has seen her polling numbers, interest in her candidacy, and crowds at her South Carolina events all increase since her performance in the first GOP debate last month in Milwaukee. She was widely lauded for her fiery approach, which included criticisms of DeSantis, Pence, Ramaswamy, Scott and Trump.
Scott, the U.S. Senate’s only Black Republican, known for his optimistic tone, had the highest favorability rating in the poll at 62%.
Trump’s favorability was at 60%, Haley at 59% and DeSantis at 50%.
