Trump leads field with 53% as DeSantis drops to third: Cygnal poll

A new national poll conducted by Cygnal has found that while Donald Trump continues to dominate the field of Republican primary contenders, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has overtaken Ron DeSantis for second place, with the Florida governor losing favor among undecided voters.

Since May, Trump has gained one point, coming in at 53 percent, while Ramaswamy has shot up 6 points to 11 percent. DeSantis is the only major candidate to see his support shrink, losing 11 points to come in at 10 percent.

The Iowa caucuses, scheduled to begin January 15, are the first contests in the race for nomination, and have long been regarded as an indicator of how a candidate will perform not only within the Republican Party, but in the general election as well. 

The former president has maintained a strong lead in the Hawkeye State, with 43 percent support, though the gap between him and his closest rival is smaller there than at the national level.

In a poll recently conducted by JL Partners among 600 likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa, Trump was preferred by 43 percent, up 2 points since April. Despite losing nine points in that timeframe, DeSantis still pulled up in second place, with 17 percent. Tim Scott moved up to third place at 11 percent, gaining 10 points.

Co-founder of the Republican polling firm, James Johnson, suggested that Trump's indictments "have only helped him entrench his position in Iowa," adding that, "though voters continue to have a positive view of the man himself, support for DeSantis is falling fast."

Both Trump and DeSantis are expected to attend this weekend's Iowa State Fair in Des Moines in an attempt to stir up support.