At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held outside Washington, D.C., attendees were sharply divided on their preference for Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential running mate. The results of a straw poll, which included 17 contenders, were disclosed on Saturday evening. Surprisingly, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy both secured the top spot, each receiving 15 percent of the votes.
The third-place position was claimed by former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard with 9 percent support. Gabbard, who has undergone a political evolution over the past eight years, previously aligning with far-left democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders and later expressing support for Donald Trump, delivered a speech at CPAC praising Trump as a “fighter” and attributing his strength to a genuine love for the country’s future.
Sharing the fourth-place spot with 8 percent each were New York Representative Elise Stefanik and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. Representative Byron Donalds from Florida secured 7 percent of the votes. Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake received 6 percent support, and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida garnered 5 percent.
In addition to the vice presidential preferences, CPAC also conducted a straw poll to determine whether Donald Trump or Nikki Haley should be the GOP presidential candidate. The results overwhelmingly favored Trump, with a resounding 94 percent in his favor, while only 5 percent supported Nikki Haley.
“His strength and resilience can only come from one place… his sincere love and concern for the future of our country,” Gabbard said.
It is noteworthy that Trump had a dominant lead in the South Carolina Republican primary, securing nearly 60 percent of the vote against Haley. Despite this outcome, Haley has declared her intention to remain in the presidential race.
The CPAC straw poll outcomes provide insights into the diverse opinions within the conservative base, particularly in regard to potential vice presidential candidates. The strong support for Trump in the presidential preference poll underscores his enduring popularity within the Republican Party, setting the stage for continued political dynamics as the 2024 elections approach.
