In a surprise tie before of the first primary debate of 2024, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has caught up to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a nationwide survey.

Ramaswamy and DeSantis are deadlocked at 12% among potential Republican primary voters, with former President Donald Trump maintaining a commanding 48%, as The Washington Examiner reported.

Kaplan Strategies study is the first to place Ramaswamy in the top ten, but this is still a long shot. It's also one of DeSantis' worst showings thus far, considering he was ahead of Trump in early polls.

“Ramaswamy outperformed six other hopefuls by more than double, marking a significant surprise in this poll,” said pollster Doug Kaplan.

Poll Details

The poll tested nine candidates, DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

This week, a survey of 800 prospective Republican primary voters had a margin of error of 3.5%, which was shared today by Kaplan.

Kaplan's observation that Ramaswamy is growing while DeSantis is falling is important and in keeping with what others have indicated, despite the fact that it is early in the election and surveys of early primary and caucus states have greater weight.

Ramaswamy has been in the spotlight, most recently dismissing rumors that he will join the Trump Cabinet.

The 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur may have a devoted fan base, but his popularity is on the rise. When compared to the other candidates, he has been less critical of Trump.

Kaplan also conducted an analysis of the candidates' approval ratings and found that Ramaswamy was in third place, tied with Pence at 56%. Trump received 69% approval, while DeSantis received 59%.

Support for DeSantis

This is despite a recent bump from otehr lawmakers who have stated they will endorse DeSantis, offering him a boost in a largely Republican state.

More than a dozen state legislators in Utah are poised to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid for the White House, giving him a crucial boost in a predominantly Republican state that has in recent years shied away from former President Donald Trump.

The endorsement comes after DeSantis conferred with the legislators in Salt Lake City on Friday, increasing the total number of endorsements from state lawmakers for the Florida governor to 270. The meeting was conducted by Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, who later that evening will host a fundraiser for DeSantis.

“Gov. DeSantis is a strong conservative leader who knows how to get things done and has the record to prove it,” Adams said in a statement. “Now more than ever, our nation needs an energetic executive leader who will get right to work for the American people on Day One."