DeSantis leading hypothetical 2024 presidential primary race in a deep-red state Trump won twice

In Tennessee – a deep-red state former President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020 – Gov. Ron DeSantis leads the former president in a hypothetical 2024 matchup among likely GOP primary voters.

Among registered Republicans, a Vanderbilt University poll found that DeSantis is leading Trump 54% to 41%. Despite being a rumored Republican front-runner in 2024, DeSantis has not announced he will run for president next cycle.

In the 2020 presidential election against President Joe Biden, Trump won the state with over 60% of the vote. The November 2022 Vanderbilt poll revealed that only 36% of Tennesseans want Trump to be the 2024 nominee.