Yale and Harvard Law. Navy duty with a SEAL team during the Iraq war. A picture perfect wife and family. A conservative and successful record as governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis brings a lot to the table if he decides to run for president in 2024. Western conservatives recognize that and gave him a victory over former president Trump in a poll this last weekend. He would also make an excellent running mate for Trump.

FNC: “The results of a straw poll of conservative voters this weekend is spotlighting the appeal of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. DeSantis came out on top of a 2024 straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit, narrowly edging former President Donald Trump, according to organizers of the conference. The straw poll at the summit, which was hosted by Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute, asked people attending the gathering both in-person and on-line to vote for all of the potential 2024 presidential contenders that they approve of – out of 31 choices of both Republicans and Democrats.

DeSantis, a first-term governor and Trump ally who’s become very popular among conservatives nationwide since the start of the coronavirus pandemic for his resistance to COVID lockdowns and other restrictions, scored a 74% approval, followed by the former president at 71%. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 43%, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 39%, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, at 36%, rounded out the top five in the straw poll. According to organizers, roughly 500 people attended the 12th annual summit in person at a hotel in Denver, Colorado, with tens of thousands watching online. None of the potential contenders spoke at the conference… DeSantis, whom pundits consider a potential 2024 Republican presidential contender, made headlines as he easily topped a second straw poll at a recent CPAC…”

For his part and feeling pressure to compete with other potential 2024 GOP candidates, Trump said last week that he’ll hold a MAGA rally in Wellington, Ohio, next Saturday, June 26. His position is still strongest at this point. But 2024 is a long time away in an environment where a day can be an eternity. Also, facing at least two serious legal challenges ahead, his position could be eroded by 2023 and the opening shots of the 2024 campaign.

This piece was written by David Kamioner on June 21, 2021. It originally appeared in DrewBerquist.com and is used by permission.

Read more at DrewBerquist.com:
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