Christie surpasses DeSantis in New Hampshire, Trump is 40 points ahead: Emerson College poll

The latest Emerson College poll out of New Hampshire has found that while Donald Trump continues to dominate the field of Republican primary contenders, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie has overtaken Ron DeSantis for second place, with the Florida governor losing favor as of late.

The former president has a commanding lead over his next closest rival, however, his results are slightly lower in the state compared to other parts of the country.

According to the poll, which was conducted between August 9 to 11, Trump currently sits in first place with 49 percent support. DeSantis, who sat comfortably in second for months, has now moved to third with 8 percent, just shy of Christie's 9. A full 13 percent of the 837 Republican primary voters surveyed across the state said they were "undecided." 

"DeSantis has been the alternative to Trump in Emerson polling this presidential cycle," Executive Director Spencer Kimball observed. "This is the first time we have seen DeSantis drop out of second place in our polling, and fall back into the pack of candidates."

The poll found that voters in the 30 to 49-year-old bracket were far more likely to support Trump over DeSantis, the former president garnering 56 percent compared to the governor's 4.

In the days since the poll was taken, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia handed Trump his fourth indictment. He has been successful in using the charges brought against him across the nation to garner support by pointing out the optics of Biden's Department of Justice going after his leading competitor in the lead-up to an election.

While Trump is likely to win the Republican primary in New Hampshire, the poll found that President Biden is more favorable in a general election. In a hypothetical rematch of 2020, Biden bested Trump in the state by 48 percent to 41.