Nearly a dozen notable figures are vying for the support of the Republican Party in the upcoming presidential election. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott and Governor Ron DeSantis are just a few of the candidates looking to gain the GOP nomination, but it appears that one man has secured an early lead in the competitive race. Recently, Steve Cortes, a spokesperson for a Republican super PAC supporting DeSantis, described former President Donald Trump as the “runaway front-runner” heading into 2024.
“Look right now in national polling, we are way behind,” Cortes said on Sunday, July 2, according to The Hill.
“I’ll be the first to admit that. I believe in being really blunt and really honest. It’s an uphill battle, I don’t think is an unwinnable battle, but clearly, Donald Trump is the runaway front-runner, particularly since the indictments.”
Cortes’s comments may surprise some, but they do not deviate from current polling data. According to FiveThirtyEight, Trump leads all candidates with approximately 52% of the party’s vote. Trailing behind in second place, DeSantis holds less than a quarter of the party’s support. Farther behind, candidates like Scott, Pence, Chris Christie and Nikki Haley all hold less than 5% of the party’s support.
