DeSantis Loses Grip On Second Place In GOP Presidential Race

A series of polls have suggested that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is losing his grip on second place in the Republican presidential race. The Times reports that DeSantis, “has been caught up by [biotech entrepreneur] Vivek Ramaswamy..."

• The Times cites two polls, one with both candidates on an equal 12% of likely voters (Kaplan Strategies) and another with DeSantis marginally ahead of Ramaswamy 12% - 10% (Harvard/Harris).
• A third poll, conducted by Fox Business News in South Carolina, shows DeSantis trailing former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley 14% to 13% in the early primary state.
• Mark Penn at Harvard CAPS-Harris Polling said: “One of the biggest surprises in the poll is how Ramaswamy has risen in the polls with DeSantis who continues to lose support to the growing field... the test will be whether he can go any further in the next two months or someone like Tim Scott will surge next.”
• Doug Kaplan, founder of Kaplan Strategies, told the Times: “Vivek Ramaswamy has made significant strides in his political journey. Ramaswamy outperformed six other hopefuls by more than double, marking a significant surprise in this poll...”