In the latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll, former President Donald Trump has expanded his lead in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary race. The poll reveals a significant increase in Trump’s support among Republican primary voters, with his backing now standing at 55 percent, marking a substantial 16 percent surge since August.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was in second place, has seen a decrease in support from 21 percent in August to 14 percent in the current poll. Consequently, Trump’s lead over DeSantis has grown from 18 percent in August to a commanding 41 percent in October.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has experienced an uptick in her support over the past two months, moving to third place with nine percent backing, a noticeable increase from her five percent support in August. In contrast, anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who held third place in the previous poll, has now slipped to fourth place, seeing his support decline from nine percent to five percent.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stands at four percent support, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at three percent, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently exited the race, with two percent support.
This poll was conducted from October 11 to 22, 2023, among 873 registered Pennsylvania voters, including 359 Republicans, with a margin of error of +/- 6.4 percent for the GOP primary questions.
Trump’s continued dominance in state-level surveys, including Pennsylvania, illustrates his strong position in the GOP primary race, with various polls showing him leading not only other Republican contenders but also former President Joe Biden in hypothetical matchups. For instance, a recent Emerson College poll displayed Trump holding a nearly double-digit lead over Biden in the Keystone State, 45 percent to Biden’s 36 percent.