Most GOP Voters Want Trump to Run Again, but Among Those Who Don’t, Pence and DeSantis Are the Leaders

Two-thirds of Republican voters say they want former President Donald Trump to run for president in 2024, according to a new Morning Consult/Politico poll. But among those who say he should pass up another bid for the presidency, there’s division over who should replace him.

More on the numbers:

• While 67 percent of Republican voters say Trump should run for president in 2024, 29 percent say he should not.
• Eighty-two percent of Republicans view Trump favorably and 17 percent hold unfavorable views, indicating that a small chunk prefer someone new despite their admiration for the 45th president.
• Fifty-nine percent of all voters say Trump should not run in 2024.

• Among the GOP voters who don’t want to see Trump run again, early loyalties appear split between former Vice President Mike Pence (26 percent) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (20 percent).
• Overall, the survey found that Trump remains the GOP front-runner by a wide margin, with support from 47 percent of the party’s electorate — roughly in line with the 50 percent support he secured in an average of four other 2024 presidential primary polls conducted since he lost to Biden in November. 
• The survey also tested the strength of Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, all of whom received backing from at most 1 percent of Republican voters.

The poll was conducted Oct. 8-11, 2021, among 1,999 registered voters, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points.