CPAC 2024 Straw Poll: Trump 59%, DeSantis 28%, Every Other Republican 2% or Less

Former President Donald Trump retained his status as the strong favorite for the 2024 nomination among attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). But a very clear rival has emerged as well.

According to a survey of 2,573 CPAC attendees conducted by Right-leaning pollster McLaughlin and Associates, Trump is the preferred 2024 candidate of 59 percent among those who attended the four-day confab. But Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) finished a very clear second with 28 percent of the vote.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who addressed the gathering in Orlando on Friday, picked up 2 percent of the vote. That was good enough to finish in third place in the straw poll. No other potential candidate garnered more than 1 percent, including notables such as former Vice President Mike Pence, and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.

Trump improved on his standing from the CPAC 2021 straw poll, in which he garnered 55 percent support. But DeSantis improved on his position from a year ago by an even bigger margin, gaining 7 points from the 21 percent he received in 2021.

Watch above.