DeSantis leads Trump in early poll of Pa. Republican voters

As former President Donald Trump pursues another bid for the White House, a new poll offers fresh evidence that Pennsylvania Republicans may be considering an alternative: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis leads Trump, 45% to 40%, in a hypothetical head-to-head 2024 primary election, according to a survey of Pennsylvania Republican voters.

Those figures include people who said they would “definitely” or “probably” support the candidates.

Twelve percent said they were undecided, and 4% preferred another candidate. Respondents were not asked about any other potential GOP candidates by name.

The poll, taken Nov. 19-21, comes as some in the party have blamed Trump for the GOP’s poor showing in this month’s midterm elections. The former president’s endorsed candidates lost several key races, including elections for governor and U.S. Senate in battleground Pennsylvania.

By contrast, DeSantis won reelection in Florida by 19 percentage points.

» READ MORE: Pa. Republicans loved Trump in 2016. But they might not be as excited about another run.

The survey was commissioned by Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, a Harrisburg-based group that promotes free markets and conservative policies.

“This poll shows what’s become abundantly clear in the past two years: It’s time to move on from Trump,” Matt Brouillette, CEO of Commonwealth Partners, said in a statement. “While his accomplishments on priorities like tax reductions and judicial nominations are notable, if Republicans want to achieve similar policy wins in the future, they must leave behind the Trump brand that’s delivering electoral defeat.”

The survey of 639 registered Republican voters in Pennsylvania had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.