Trump maintains double-digit lead over Haley in latest South Carolina poll

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Former President Donald Trump is holding on to a strong lead among South Carolina voters, according to a new poll released Friday.

The Emerson College Polling survey found that Trump is polling at 54 percent, putting him 29 points ahead of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is polling in second place at 25 percent.

The margin between the two is even greater among voters who identify as Republicans with Trump polling at 62 percent to Haley’s 21 percent, the survey found. Haley does, however, have the edge — 37 percent to 33 percent — among independent voters.

“The current state of the race in South Carolina finds Trump as the frontrunner with Haley as his main opponent,” Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis polled at 7 percent, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie polled at 5 percent, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy polled at 3 percent. The survey also found that 6 percent of voters in South Carolina are still undecided in the race.

“DeSantis has seen a decline in support, and similar to our New Hampshire poll has faded into the pack with single-digit support,” Kimball said.

Despite gaining a slew of local and state-level endorsements over the past several months in her home state, Haley still faces an uphill battle in her quest to overtake the GOP frontrunner.

“A key question arising from this poll is whether Haley can mobilize ample support in her home state before the primary, in the case the race becomes more competitive after New Hampshire,” Kimball noted.

Her strategy is centered on a strong showing in next month’s Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary before much of the campaign’s focus shifts to South Carolina, where the Feb. 24 contest could be the last chance for anyone other than Trump to prove they can survive.

But her home state has shifted closer to Trump in the near-decade since she last ran for state office, threatening her ability to tap into her local roots to notch the victory she has promised.

The former president this time has the endorsement of almost every major South Carolina Republican. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who previously ran against Trump, suggested he would destroy the Republican Party and openly questioned McMaster’s thinking over the 2016 endorsement, is now a close ally of the former president and is co-chairing Trump’s state campaign with S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster.

South Carolina’s lieutenant governor, state treasurer, attorney general and three of its six Republican U.S. House members all back Trump. The only congressman to endorse Haley is Rep. Ralph Norman, a longtime ally.

Haley’s presidential campaign points toward her previous popularity in South Carolina as a signal she will perform well when it comes time for her home state’s voters to make their selection.

“We’re seeing a surge of support across the state,” campaign spokesperson Ken Farnaso said. “South Carolinians trusted Nikki to get the job done — not once, but twice. Now they’re flocking to her campaign because she is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”

The survey was conducted from Jan. 2 to Jan. 3, 2024, and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.