For months, President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been locked in a bitter race to win the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.

Yet in a development that few saw coming, newly released polling data suggests another candidate appears to be gaining ground. 

Vivek Ramaswamy enters third place

According to Breitbart, a survey carried out by Echelon Insights between June 26 and June 29 found that anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy was supported by 10%.

Breitbart noted this figure put him just six points behind DeSantis and five points ahead of his two closest competitors, former Vice President Mike Pence and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

What's more, Ramaswamy is now the first Republican challenger aside from Trump and DeSantis to have entered into double-digit territory.

👀Vivek Ramaswamy hits 10% in the latest Echelon Insights GOP presidential primary poll, just 6 behind DeSantis.

413 GOP LVs, June 26-29, online, MoE 3.9%https://t.co/MyAw9Ld9Kq pic.twitter.com/dvnaeecTlH

— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) July 5, 2023

Ramaswamy's support grows as DeSantis's declines

Meanwhile, The Hill pointed out that while Ramaswamy has gained two points since Echelon's last poll, DeSantis has declined by three.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy's support has grown from 8 percent to 10 percent, while DeSantis' support has dropped from 19 percent in May to 16 percent, according to a new poll. https://t.co/pqWRLwKbsw

— The Hill (@thehill) July 5, 2023

Ramaswamy made headlines last month when he publicly challenged other Republican candidates to sign a letter pledging that they would pardon former President Trump for federal charges relating to his handling of classified documents.

I challenge every US Presidential candidate to join me in standing for TRUTH. Commit to pardon Donald Trump for these federal charges on Day 1, or explain why you won’t. No one should hide. Not Biden. Not DeSantis. Not Haley. Not Pence. Not RFK. Not Scott. Not anyone. Principles… pic.twitter.com/qYP3fUrE5R

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 13, 2023

Trump praised Ramaswamy in May

"This letter ... is my commitment on Jan. 20, 2025 — if I'm elected the next U.S. president — to pardon Donald J. Trump for these offenses in this federal case," Ramaswamy said outside of the Florida courthouse where Trump was arraigned.

"I have challenged — I have demanded — that every other candidate in this race either sign this commitment to pardon on Jan. 20, 2025, or else to explain why they are not," he added.

Interestingly, Outlook India reported that Ramaswamy received praise from Trump during a May interview with Indian media company NDTV.

The former president said he was "pleased to see that Vivek Ramaswamy is doing so well" in a poll conducted by YouGov for CBS News.