Haley pulls support from DeSantis in 2024 GOP primary poll

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) pulled key support from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in a hypothetical GOP 2024 presidential primary, putting former President Trump ahead in a three-way race, according to a new poll. 

The Yahoo News-YouGov poll found that DeSantis leads Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up, 45 percent to 41 percent. But with Haley in the mix, Trump leads with 38 percent support to DeSantis’s 35 percent and Haley’s 11 percent. 

Pollsters also found DeSantis leading President Biden in a hypothetical general election match-up, 44 percent to 43 percent, but Biden leads Trump by 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent. 

Trump is the only major Republican candidate to have officially jumped in the race, but Haley is expected to launch her bid next week, potentially becoming the first major challenger to him to mount a bid. 

DeSantis has been rumored as a possible contender for the GOP nomination and has consistently placed at least second in hypothetical Republican primary polls. In some cases, he has been in first ahead of Trump. 

Many other prominent Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have indicated that they are considering their own runs, which could lead the Republican primary to become a crowded race. 

Almost half of Republican and Republican-leaning respondents said they approve of Haley running, while a fifth disapprove. But 30 percent said they are not sure. 

The poll found Trump holds a strong lead over her in a head-to-head match-up, 54 percent to 27 percent. 

Trump leads DeSantis by 1 point, 37 percent to 36 percent, in a hypothetical nine-candidate match-up, taking into account other possible candidates. 

The poll was conducted among 1,585 U.S. adults from Feb. 2 to Feb. 6. The margin of error was 2.8 percentage points.