Trump holds lead over DeSantis in New Hampshire Republican presidential primary poll
DURHAM, N.H. - Former President Donald Trump has seen a slight drop in support among New Hampshire voters since April but still holds a double-digit lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, according to a new poll.
The University of New Hampshire survey of about 900 likely GOP primary voters has Trump polling at 37%, followed by DeSantis at 23%. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is third with 8%, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are tied with 6%. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have 5%, while former Vice President Mike Pence is at just 1%.
Trump's support is down 5 percentage points since the last poll in April, UNH says, while DeSantis has stayed about the same. Back in January, it was DeSantis who had a 12-point lead over Trump.
"Despite Trump's lead, only 36% of likely 2024 Republican primary voters say that they have definitely decided who they will vote for, 45% say they are leaning toward someone, and 17% are still trying to decide," the pollsters said in a statement. "However, more than three-quarters (76%) of Trump supports say they have definitely decided, far higher than his closest rivals DeSantis (14%), Scott (10%), and Christie (7%).
Researchers said one-time Trump ally-turned-critic Christie is "very unpopular" among voters, with 35% saying they would not vote for him under any circumstances.
Donors told CBS News recently that the DeSantis campaign has been "brutally honest" about trailing Trump in the race by double digits. They argue that it's still a "two-man" contest between him and Trump and say the Florida governor is best positioned to win a general election.
Trump posted to social media Tuesday that he has received a letter indicating he is the target of a criminal investigation by a grand jury investigating attempts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election. He is also charged with multiple federal felony counts related to the handling of national defense-related documents since leaving office.
On the Democratic side in New Hampshire, a Saint Anselm College poll from late June found that President Joe Biden had a commanding 68% of support among his party's primary voters, compared to single-digits for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson.