Desantis Falls, Now Tied with Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy for 2nd in GOP Primary

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are tied for second place in the Republican presidential field, according to a new poll. DeSantis has seen a significant drop in support, while Ramaswamy has risen to second place.

In a surprising turn of events in the US presidential race, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have emerged tied for second place in the Republican presidential field, according to a recent poll by Emerson College. The poll shows DeSantis and Ramaswamy both at 10 percent, trailing former President Donald Trump, who leads with 56 percent.

It is worth noting that DeSantis, who was previously in second place with 21 percent in June, has experienced a significant drop in support, now standing at 10 percent. On the other hand, Ramaswamy has risen to the second spot from a mere 2 percent.

The poll also revealed that DeSantis supporters have somewhat less steadfast support compared to Ramaswamy's backers. Nearly half of Ramaswamy supporters stated that they will definitely vote for him, while only a third of DeSantis supporters expressed the same level of certainty.

Interestingly, over 80 percent of Trump supporters affirmed that they will definitely vote for the former president.

The release of the poll coincides with a leaked memo from the super PAC supporting DeSantis' candidacy, 'Never Back Down', which urges DeSantis to aggressively target Ramaswamy. Some polls have shown Ramaswamy closing in on DeSantis for second place, and the memo seems to acknowledge the momentum building behind the Florida governor's competitors.

In response to the memo, Ramaswamy took to X (formerly Twitter) and criticized the attack, referring to it as a "boring, establishment attack" from the super PAC. He sarcastically referred to DeSantis as "Robot Ron" and dismissed the pre-programmed attack lines.

According to Spencer Kimball, the Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, Ramaswamy has gained support among voters with postgraduate degrees, capturing 17 percent of that group. He has also made strides with younger voters, securing 16 percent of those under the age of 35.

In contrast, DeSantis has seen a decline in support among postgraduate voters, dropping from 38 percent in June to 14 percent now. He only managed to garner 15 percent of the under 35 demographic.

The release further noted that DeSantis's drop in support mirrors the findings of Emerson's New Hampshire poll, which showed former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie surpassing DeSantis by 1 point for second place in the state, indicating a statistical tie.

The upcoming first Republican primary debate will provide DeSantis, Ramaswamy, and other GOP presidential candidates with a crucial opportunity to distinguish themselves on a national stage, particularly with Trump's apparent intention to skip the debate.

More than 80 percent of Republican primary voters have expressed their intention to watch the debate.

The poll, conducted from August 16-17 among 1,000 registered voters, including 465 who plan to participate in their state's Republican primary or caucus, has a credibility interval of 3 points.

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