Politics

Trump Holds Big Lead Over DeSantis With Minority Republicans, Polls Show

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James Lynch Investigative Reporter
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Former President Donald Trump holds a double-digit lead over Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with minority Republican primary voters, recent polls show.

Trump leads DeSantis by an average of 55% to 26% with non-white Republican primary voters, based on an average of two polls by CNN/SSRS and Quinnipiac released in mid-March. Among white voters, Trump averaged a 38% to 37% lead against DeSantis, within the margin of error of both polls.

The combined sample size of the minority voters was about 200 respondents, and each poll used a nationally representative sample. CNN’s margin of error was +/- 3.8% and Quinnipiac’s was 2.3% either way. (RELATED: Donald Trump Pulling Away From Ron DeSantis In Recent Polling Aggregates)

Trump’s lead among minority Republicans reflects a socioeconomic divide between his supporters and DeSantis’ supporters. CNN’s poll shows Trump is up 22% with Republican households making $50,000 a year or less, with 45% of minority Republicans falling into that category, compared with 28% of white Republicans.

Trump is down 13% to DeSantis among households making more than $50,000 a year, CNN surveyed. The former president trails DeSantis by 26 points among white college-educated Republicans, according to the Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.

Minority Republican voters make up about 18% of the GOP primary electorate, a 5% increase from 2016, according to CNN. Trump improved significantly among non-white voters in the 2020 election, fueled by a 10% increase in support from Hispanics nationwide, Pew Research data shows.

DeSantis is widely expected to run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination against Trump and a growing field of candidates. The Florida governor is expected to be Trump’s most formidable challenger, state and national polls show.