By Jerald Jimenez
01 Feb 2024, 14:03 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump remains the favorite for Republicans in his home state of South Carolina against Nikki Haley in the party’s presidential primary later this month, according to a recent Washington Post-Monmouth University poll. .
According to the numbers, Trump leads former Governor Haley by 22 points, who held office from 2011 to 2017, according to the results of the survey published on Thursday.
58% of likely Republican primary voters surveyed said they currently support Trump, while 32% expressed support for Haley.
Trump leads Haley with majority support across all age groups, among both men and women, according to the poll. The primary elections in that state will occur on February 24, 2024.
Similarly, a similar Monmouth University poll conducted in September 2023 showed Trump with 46% support and Haley with 18% support among South Carolina Republicans.
Among those surveyed, 42% said they believed Trump could confidently defeat Biden in the general election, while 29% said he was “likely” to do so. Only 21% of South Carolina Republicans said Haley could confidently defeat Biden, with 42% saying she “probably” could.
South Carolina Republicans are unfazed by Trump’s legal problems, and 60% say they believe the GOP should keep Trump as their candidate if he wins the nomination. Similarly, 62% said they would still vote for Trump in the general election in that case, while only 17% said they would prefer to vote for Biden.
Meanwhile, Trump has a small lead, 35% to 26%, over Haley when it comes to trust in managing abortion policy.
The poll also indicated that Trump has more support from South Carolina voters on issues such as the economy and foreign policy.