An early assessment of the Republican nomination race in Iowa demonstrates former President Donald Trump’s dominant position as the clear frontrunner, leaving the rest of the field trailing far behind. According to a Fox Business survey of Iowa Republicans, Trump leads by a substantial 30-point margin, with likely caucus-goers prioritizing his perceived electability for the 2024 election.

The numbers from the survey reveal Trump’s overwhelming support, with a remarkable 46% of likely GOP caucus-goers favoring him, placing him in a category of his own. The next tier of contenders includes Ron DeSantis at 16% and Tim Scott at 11%.

Further down the list, Vivek Ramaswamy garners 6% support, followed by Nikki Haley at 5%, Mike Pence at 4%, and Chris Christie and Doug Burgum each at 3%. Asa Hutchinson and Francis Suarez receive 1% apiece, while Larry Elder and Will Hurd trail with less than 1% each.

Education emerges as a significant factor in candidate preference, with 57% of those without a college degree supporting Trump compared to 33% among those with a degree. DeSantis, on the other hand, garners 20% among college-educated individuals, followed by Scott at 13%.

Scott finds strong support among college-educated women, voters aged 55-64, and women over 45, while DeSantis gains high backing from men with a college degree, men under age 45, conservatives, and regular worship service attendees. Trump’s strongest support comes from voters under 35, those without college degrees, very strong conservatives, and voters who rarely attend religious services.

Interestingly, a considerable portion of Trump supporters name DeSantis as their second choice, while those favoring DeSantis prioritize Trump and Scott as their alternatives. Scott appears to have room for growth, with only 12% indicating they could never support him, and 25% expressing interest in gathering more information about him before making a decision.

The survey also highlights the importance of defeating President Joe Biden in the minds of GOP caucus-goers, with 66% saying it is extremely important to their candidate choice. Trump remains the favored candidate in both scenarios, leading by 36 points among those emphasizing agreement on issues and by 34 points among those prioritizing winning.

When selecting their candidate, economic issues take precedence for 41% of GOP caucus-goers, followed by immigration at 15%, social issues such as abortion and gender in school and sports at 15%, foreign policy and defense at 12%, and populist issues like corruption and corporate activism at 9%.

Additionally, the survey reveals that skipping a presidential primary debate is perceived as a sign of weakness by twice as many respondents (59%) compared to those who see it as a display of strength (27%).

Fox News is set to host the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 cycle in Milwaukee on August 23, 2023. Notably, in the 2016 Iowa Republican caucus, Trump secured second place, narrowly trailing Texas Senator Ted Cruz by just over three points.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)