Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edges out Donald Trump in Western Conservative Summit’s presidential straw poll | Quick Hits | coloradopolitics.com
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scored something of an upset this weekend by finishing slightly ahead of former President Donald Trump in the Western Conservative Summit s straw poll for the 2024 presidential election, the poll’s organizer said Saturday.
DeSantis led the vote with about 75% to Trump’s roughly 72% in the highly unscientific poll, which was conducted online using the approval voting method.
The summit, in its 12th year, is sponsored by Colorado Christian University s Centennial Institute and drew around 500 people on Friday and Saturday to a downtown Denver hotel, plus an audience numbering in the tens of thousands who watched online, organizers said.
Other possible Republican presidential contenders trailed, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz nabbing 42% support, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo finishing just under 40%, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at 37% and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton nearly tied, with about 30% each.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul got 29%, former first son Donald Trump Jr. got about 25% and former Vice President Mike Pence got 21%.