(NewsNation) — With less than two months to go before the Iowa caucuses, former President Donald Trump remains the front-runner for the GOP nomination and currently leads the rest of the field by nearly 50 points.
Trump’s advantage has widened over the past year, while his next closest challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has seen his campaign sputter.
But that doesn’t mean the race is over. DeSantis has secured major endorsements in Iowa, where he’s hoping to revitalize his campaign. Meanwhile, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has seen her support rise after strong debate performances, nipping at DeSantis’ heels in the polls.
Candidates will have a chance to boost their position during the fourth Republican debate Dec. 6. Here’s where the White House hopefuls rank ahead of next week’s showdown on NewsNation.
The following polling averages are based on data from RealClearPolitics.
1 – Donald Trump
Current polling average: 62%
One week after the first debate: 53.6%
The former president remains the clear front-runner, and his lead has grown in recent weeks.
Despite skipping every debate so far, Trump holds a 48-point advantage over DeSantis in second place. Four criminal indictments and multiple civil lawsuits have done little to change that support and instead have galvanized his base and fundraising efforts.
When it comes to fundraising, Trump’s campaign has raked in more than $60.5 million, which is well ahead of his GOP rivals and about $4 million more than President Joe Biden.
He’s also outperformed Biden in a series of recent polls. Last month, a New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump leading the president in five out of six battleground states.
Those hoping to unseat Trump are pinning their hopes on Iowa and New Hampshire, where he holds a slimmer 30-point lead.
2 – Ron DeSantis
Current polling average: 13.6%
One week after the first debate: 13.5%
Back in the spring, the popular Florida governor looked like Trump’s toughest opponent in the GOP field, with some polls showing him within five points of the former president. But since then, his campaign has failed to take off. With less than two months before the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis is polling half of where he was at the start of April.
On the fundraising front, DeSantis has raised about half as much money as Trump and in July cut one-third of his campaign staff.
With that said, he still remains Republicans’ second choice in the polls and has received more funding than every GOP candidate not named Donald Trump.
In a head-to-head matchup with Biden, recent polling suggests DeSantis outperforms Trump among independents, white college graduates and suburban voters. All are key demos that could decide the outcome in 2024.
In Iowa, DeSantis has picked up key endorsements from GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats. The Florida governor’s outlook is worse in New Hampshire, where he trails Trump, Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
3 – Nikki Haley
Current polling average: 9.6%
One week after the first debate: 4.9%
Buoyed by her solid showings at recent debates, the former South Carolina governor is the only Trump challenger trending in the right direction. After hovering around 5% in September, she’s steadily closed the gap with DeSantis, and some polls now show her in second place.
In November, Haley announced a $10 million ad buy across Iowa and New Hampshire to build on her recent momentum.
Striking a more moderate tone, Haley may be Republicans’ best chance at defeating Biden. The New York Times/Siena College poll showed her outperforming Trump in head-to-head matchups with Biden in four of six 2024 swing states.
Haley bested Trump and DeSantis among suburban women, white college graduates, moderates and independents in a matchup against Biden, a separate Fox News poll found.
The former South Carolina governor has picked up dozens of endorsements in Iowa, and her statewide polling numbers are up five points over the past month. In New Hampshire, Haley is the clear second favorite behind Trump.
4 – Vivek Ramaswamy
Current polling average: 4.8%
One week after the first debate: 7.3%
After surging to third place in September, Ramaswamy’s support has faltered in recent weeks and currently sits around 5%.
The biotech entrepreneur turned presidential candidate was able to generate some momentum after the first GOP debate but has failed to rise in the polls. A series of contentious faceoffs with Haley hasn’t done Ramaswamy any favors, although he’s still viewed more favorably than her among young GOP voters.
In Iowa, the 38-year-old political outsider has struggled to gain traction and finds himself in fourth place. His outlook isn’t any better in New Hampshire.
Ramaswamy’s fourth-place position has come at a significant financial cost. His campaign has burned through more than $22 million, trailing only Biden and Trump when it comes to spending, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
5 – Chris Christie
Current polling average: 2.2%
One week after the first debate: 2.5%
The former New Jersey governor has positioned himself as the anti-Trump candidate, but the rhetoric hasn’t won him support with Republican voters. It’s hard to find a period over the last few months where Christie’s polling numbers have spiked. Instead, he’s remained in fifth place, hovering around 2.5% in national polls.
So far, Christie has failed to win over GOP voters in Iowa, but he’s performing better in New Hampshire, where he’s currently in third behind Trump and Haley.
Last weekend, Christie said he doesn’t plan to drop out of the race and intends to see it through to the Republican convention in July.
